A pair of video replay reviews turned a potential road victory into a 1-1 draw against Iowa Thursday night at the Iowa Soccer Complex. However, the Wildcats still managed to extend their program-record unbeaten streak to seven matches.
K-State jumped out to an early lead in the 23rd minute. Junior forward Allison Marshall, with Gabby DeMers assisting her, gathered a loose ball near the top of the 18-yard box, spun off her defender and ripped a 19-yard strike into the left corner for her second goal of the season and eighth of her career. The goal tied Marshall for third in program history for career goals while pushing her past 20 career points.
“Allison was great today and used her body really well to hold up the ball and then work her way in behind the back line,” head coach Colleen Corbin said. “She has been working incredibly hard in training and continues to put herself in really dangerous positions in the final third. Really happy for her to be rewarded tonight and have the ball hit the back of the net.”
The Wildcats appeared to double their lead in the 29th minute when DeMers found the back of the net. Still, the goal was wiped away after Video Assistant Referee (VAR) determined K-State committed a foul earlier in the possession, disallowing the goal.
Seven minutes later, drama struck again. DeMers launched a long shot that bounced off Iowa goalkeeper Braelynn Galt and appeared to cross the goal line before being hit away. Although the near-side assistant referee signaled a goal, Iowa initiated another VAR review, which overturned the call and took a second goal off the board.
“Truly one of the most deflating experiences I have ever had in my coaching career,” Corbin said. “The goals that were scored were so good and so well executed, and I am just gutted for the players.”
Iowa capitalized on the momentum shift early in the second half. In the 50th minute, Reilly Heman tapped in an equalizer off an assist from Berit Parten. A K-State VAR challenge confirmed the goal, snapping the Wildcats’ shutout streak at 410 minutes and 23 seconds — a span of over four and a half full matches without allowing a goal, and the third-longest scoreless streak in program history.
The Hawkeyes dominated total shots 25-11, but Maddie Sibbing stood tall between the posts. The reigning Big 12 Goalkeeper of the Week recently made school history as the first K-State player ever named IWSOC National Player of the Week, after her performance defending the net against Nebraska on Aug. 30. Sibbing tied her career high with eight saves, including a crucial 69th-minute leaping punch over the crossbar to preserve the tie.
“Maddie showed tonight why she has been recognized as one of the best goalkeepers in the country,” Corbin said. “She played incredibly well and made some really impressive saves that kept us in the game tonight. All you can ask from your goalkeeper is to come up big in a few moments and give us a chance to win the game, and she did exactly that.”
On defense, senior defender Reece Walrod notched 90 minutes of action in her 47th consecutive start. Walrod has now played the full 90 minutes in 25 straight matches, making her the only player in Power 4 women’s soccer to reach that milestone.
Despite the frustration, K-State remained undefeated through six matches this season and extended its overall unbeaten streak to seven dating back to the 2025 finale — another school record.
“It should give the team an immense amount of confidence,” Corbin added. “Iowa is a very good team who is consistently in the NCAA Tournament, and our girls were on the front foot and went toe to toe with them tonight. I am looking forward to going back to watch the film and seeing all the moments that were so effective and sharing them with the group. There is a real energy and momentum that this team has generated, and I am excited to bring that on the road in Colorado next week.”
The Wildcats continue their three-match road swing in Colorado, facing Colorado State at 5 p.m. CST on Thursday, Sept. 10 (streaming on YouTube ) before taking on Colorado College at 2 p.m. CST on Sunday, Sept. 13 (MW+).
