OMAHA, Neb. – It looked like Iowa State was set to open the 2025 campaign with two straight draws for the first time since 2009. That was until Cyclone defender Isabella Agrusso scored a 40-foot goal in the final two minutes of the contest to break a stalemate and give the Cyclones their first win of the season.

The win marked a milestone for the Cyclone soccer team, as it is the 200th in program history.

Much like their contest last year, the Cyclones (1-0-1) and Bluejays (1-2-0) were playing a tight, physical contest at Morrison Stadium. The keepers would combine to tally 11 saves, as neither side was able to crack the other’s defense.

A late-game push from the Bluejays would be stymied before the ball caromed out to Ella Ciardullo. She’d send a ball crossfield and ahead to Agrusso, who had two Bluejays on her hip. Creighton’s keeper would come out to meet Agrusso nearly 40 yards away from the net, and thanks to the over-aggression, Agrusso had to just loft the ball over her head and into the net as she gave the Cyclones the lead.

Freshman Megan Walters led the team with two shots, while seven others collected one apiece. Five of ISU’s nine total attempts came on goal, though the Cyclones were outshot by the Bluejays, 15-9. Kasye Cannistraro had a career night between the poles for the Cyclones, as the redshirt sophomore had a personal best seven saves and collected her first career clean sheet. Along with Cannistraro in net, Ella Zimmerman and Lucy Froitzheim were the only players to play all 90 minutes in what was a hot night.

For Creighton, Olivia Duray, Brynn Gardner and Ariana Mondiri tied for a game-high three shots, while both Gardner and Mallory Connealy tied for a game-high two shots on goal. The Bluejays had six more shots than ISU but were turned away frequently by Cyclone keeper Kasey Cannistraro. Creighton only had 130 minutes of bench production on the evening. Bluejay keeper Alyssa Zalac corralled four saves in her 90 minutes of work.

The teams would feel each other out early, as the first shot didn’t come until the ninth minute when ISU rattled off a pair. The first half would feature just six more shots, and all of them came from the Bluejays, who tested Cannistraro often.

Speaking of Cannistraro, she and Creighton’s keeper, Zalac, were the stories of the first stanza. Each made various plays, snuffing out runs and preventing attempts. At the break, ISU had just the two shots, and Creighton had six, with Cannistraro saving three of them.

The Bluejays kept pressing the attack at the beginning of the second, as Creighton rattled off a pair of shots in the first five minutes. The Cyclones were able to get a handful of quality looks, as they ripped off four shots in a three-minute span. Zalac and the Bluejays were steady, though, continuing to turn away opportunities.

After the first half saw each team rapidly trade possessions, each side settled in in the second and sustained momentum for longer bits, putting together quality runs.

Following ISU’s four-shot barrage in the 55th minute, Creighton responded with a plethora of shots in the 58th. After the initial attempt from the Jays was saved, two more just missed as the score remained knotted at 0-0.

30 minutes of action would go by and neither side was able to break through. After an Alaina Villa attempt just missed in the 85th minute, Creighton was able to go the other way and earn a corner kick in the 88th minute. After the volley caromed out, Ciardullo would control the ball before sending it ahead to Agrusso, who did the rest. Her clutch goal gave ISU the lead and notched her first career game-winning goal.

“It’s always fun to win in such dramatic fashion, but we were really good throughout the whole match. We did a really good job with the game plan, created a lot of good chances, and executed well. I’m really proud of our women, and they earned that win tonight.”

Iowa State: Isabella Agrusso (1)

Creighton: N/A

Iowa State: Ella Ciardullo (1)

Creighton: N/A

Iowa State will be back in action this Sunday, Aug. 24, when it returns to the Cyclone Soccer Complex to take on Drake in a Senior Day tilt. The Cyclones and Bulldogs will kick off at 6 p.m. and the game will be streamed live on ESPN+.