Box Score AMES, Iowa – The No. 18-ranked West Virginia University women's soccer team battled through an unseasonably cold evening and a pesky Cyclone defense to cruise to a 2-0 win against Iowa State tonight at the Cyclone Sports Complex.
 
The Mountaineers' (9-3-3, 5-1) patience was tested, as the Cyclones (2-12-2, 0-5-1) heavily clogged the midfield, but goals late each half pushed WVU to its eighth win in nine matches.
 
As has been the story late, the WVU defense was just as impressive, as the Mountaineers held ISU to three shots, all in the second half, and allowed just one shot on-goal with under two minutes remaining.
 
The Mountaineers have denied the Cyclones a goal in six consecutive matches and outscored ISU, 20-2, since the series began in 2012.
 
"Iowa State plays a tough defense and was totally trying to disrupt us. I was most impressed with this team's patience tonight," Mountaineer coach Nikki Izzo-Brown said. "We were able to find the back of the net because we stayed within our game and waited for the right chances.
 
"We played tight defense tonight, too. That shutout was really important to us, and I'm happy to see we got back on track with the clean sheet."
 
With holes in the final-third few and far between, the Mountaineers found their first-half break late, as freshman forward Lizzie Mayfield directed a hard shot just inside the box toward the near post in the 41st minute for her first career goal. After receiving the ball from senior midfielder Grace Cutler, sophomore midfielder Stefany Ferrer-vanGinkel created space and then pushed the ball wide for her second assist of the season.
 
With the goal, Mayfield became the 13th different Mountaineer to tally a score for WVU this season.
 
Mayfield also factored into the Mountaineers' second goal late in the match. After receiving the ball deep in the box in the 79th minute, she turned and put a shot on-frame. ISU's Dayja Schwichtenberg made the push save and redirected the ball toward the left post. Unmarked, senior forward Sh'Nia Gordon ran up on the rebound and quickly put it into the back of the net for her team-best fifth goal of the season.
 
Mayfield's assist, her team-leading fourth of the season, put her game point total at three (1 G, 1 A).
 
The Mountaineers finished with 15 shots and forced Schwichtenberg into five saves. Gordon paced the field with four shots, three on-goal.
 
The Mountaineers' clean sheet is their eighth of the season and fourth in Big 12 play. Junior Rylee Foster made the late save for WVU, and the clean sheet is her seventh of the season. She now sits tied with Sara Keane (2011-13) at No. 3 in program history with 27 career shutouts. 
 
WVU earned an 8-1 edge in corner kicks.
 
Though chances were hard to come by early, the Mountaineers nearly capitalized in the third minute. Senior midfielder Nadya Gill sent a hard ball toward the frame. Sophomore forward Lauren Segalla flicked the ball inside the box, but Schwichtenberg was there for the save at the right post.
 
Up 1-0 in the 50th minute, the Mountaineers sent their fourth corner kick high. Gordon's low shot was blocked inside the box before a foul against WVU sent play the opposite direction. The Mountaineers quickly regained possession, and senior forward Hannah Abraham pushed ahead before taking a low shot wide of the box that was saved.
 
Gordon's last shot on-goal before her late insurance score was pretty. With the ball at the top of the box in the 54th minute, she beat her defender with a move, creating space and taking a high shot. The ball curved toward the left post, but Schwichtenberg was in position for the save.
 
Freshman midfielder Addison Clark followed four minutes later with her own long chance, but her hard shot hit off the post before going wide.
 
ISU had two looks in the closing minutes. The first was a long shot from Emily Steil in the 83rd minute that sailed over the crossbar. The second was a bit more dangerous, as Klasey Medelberg earned a shot inside the box in the 89th minute. Foster made the easy save at the line to preserve the shutout.
 
With the win, WVU improves to 7-0 all-time against ISU.
 
The Mountaineers close out their 2018 road slate next weekend with a pair of matches in Oklahoma. WVU kicks against Oklahoma State in Stillwater on Friday, Oct. 19, at 7 p.m. EST before traveling to Norman for a match at Oklahoma on Sunday, Oct. 21, at 2 p.m. EST.