Jacks, Cyclones play to scoreless draw

Friday, September 1

Brookings, S.D.

6 p.m.

South Dakota State University

1-3-1

Iowa State

1-3-1

OT 3

OT 4

Iowa State

South Dakota State

Photo by: Mark Smither

9/1/2017 9:24:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

A thrilling, back-and-forth contest between South Dakota State and Iowa State ended in a scoreless tie Friday at Fishback Soccer Park, despite the teams combining for 25 shots on the night.

SDSU (1-3-1) had 12 shots in the game, including five in the second half and three in the second overtime.

Kyli Nelson and Rachel Hewitt led the Jacks with three attacks each, with Hewitt pacing the team by putting two on goal. Jennie Scislow and Leah Manuleleua recorded efforts as well.

Maggie Smither tallied her second clean sheet of the season, playing all 110 minutes in goal with seven saves while facing 13 total shots.

Iowa State was the aggressor early, getting a shot and a pair of corner kicks in the opening 10 minutes, but Nelson gave the Jacks a pair of chances shortly after, firing an attack in the 15th that went off the cross bar and following it up with an effort that went wide at 16:57.

The Cyclones took back control the rest of the half, shooting five times over the next 30 minutes, but were turned back every time by a stout Jackrabbit defense.

Out of the half, SDSU picked up its intensity and gained the momentum, stringing together numerous runs before the ISU backline cleared the attacks.

In the 76th, a cross from Annie Williams into the box set up a corner kick for the Jacks, and off the ensuing set piece a header from Rachel Hewitt was on goal, only to be stopped by Iowa State's Dayja Schwichtenberg.

Late in regulation, Iowa State's McKenna Schultz put a foot on a ball in the box, but Smither smothered the shot with a diving save. Moments later, Smither found herself facing a Cyclone one-on-one in a fast break, with the Jackrabbit keeper winning the battle by tipping the shot over the cross bar at the last second.

The final two minutes of regulation was a flurry of counters, with both teams using missed passes from their opponents to start a sprint in the opposite direction. ISU got off a shot at 89:38, and with just one second remaining Manuleleua tried for a game-winner, but it was blocked as the game went to overtime.

Hewitt came through with another shot on goal in the opening frame of extra time, and the Jackrabbit defense withstood a pair of Cyclone attacks to continue playing in a second golden-goal period.

With chants of "S-D-S-U" from the fans carrying the Jacks out of the huddle between overtime periods, the home team went on the offensive over the final 10 minutes of play, and though South Dakota State put up three more shots, time ran out in the scoreless affair.

Head Coach Brock Thompson
On tonight's draw …
"I loved the energy we played with in the second half. I thought we did a good job coming out of the locker room and playing with championship effort. We were able to translate defense intensity into some really good defensive chances. Iowa State's a great team, they were a top-50 RBI team last year and they challenged us in some certain ways and were able to get behind us a couple of times, and Maggie made some great saves. We had a couple of really good chances in their six-yard box as well."

On Maggie Smither's play …
"This was the most complete that Maggie's played this year. Aside from the big saves, I was excited home connected she was to our back line and how quick she was off her line."

On new faces stepping up …
"Young players are going to take game experience to become really good college players. I'm excited for the things that Katie Zabel, that Leah's doing. I thought Rachel Hewitt came in and gave us a really good spark off the bench today. I'm really excited about our young players and what they're going to bring not only this year, but down the road."

Up Next
SDSU heads for Omaha, Neb., on Sunday to take on Creighton. Kickoff from Morrison Stadium is 1 p.m.

-GoJacks.com-