The Iowa soccer team has no plans of placing more importance in one game over another. However, that becomes more difficult when Iowa State comes to town.

In the first event of the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series, the Hawkeyes will take on the Cyclones for state bragging rights at 7 p.m.  today in the Iowa Soccer Complex.

Iowa is fresh off a trip to Stockton, Calif. The Hawks returned home with their undefeated record intact — 4-0.

The two West Coast wins over Pacific and Cal-Davis extended the Hawkeyes nonconference winning streak to 22 games.

“I thought [on] Sunday we attacked well,” head coach Ron Rainey said. “We want to keep building on that aspect.”

With the early season success, the Hawks focus remains on the future competition. These two teams prove to be the toughest competition either team has had yet. Iowa State’s record is currently 3-1 after a dropping a game to Minnesota on Sept. 1.

“It is just one of our games on our schedule,” midfielder Alex Melin said. “But Iowa State is always kind of fun because it is an in-state rivalry.”

Both teams have shown the ability to put the ball in the net. Iowa State is scoring at the same rate at which the Hawks are with each team averaging 1.75 goals per contest.

As of late, the Hawkeyes defense has been on lockdown, shutting out their last two opponents to give the team three shutouts on the year.

Four games into the season, the Hawkeyes have a pretty good idea of their strengths and weaknesses. So far, the strengths outweigh the weaknesses. But this shouldn’t bring about complacency in the program.

“It’s just doing what we do best,” defender Caitlin Brown said. “We need to continue to do the things that we do well and work on the things that we aren’t so good at.”

Iowa State averages 14.2 shots per game, but the Hawkeyes have not only shut out opponents, but they’ve done so in a manner that their opponents rarely get a shot off. Iowa’s opponents are only averaging 9.8 shots per game.

The Hawks will also hope the impressive play of forwards Cloe Lacasse and Ashley Catrell continues. The duo was the Hawks top-two scorers last season and appear to be on track for a similar situation this season — they have combined for three goals this season.

“We just want to make sure that we play as well as we can play, control what we can control,” Rainey said.

The Hawkeyes have yet to lose to the Cyclones during Rainey’s coaching tenure, so if anyone is qualified to give advice on the in-state rivalry its Rainey.

“We know Iowa State is going to come out playing really hard,” Rainey said.  “We expect that and have to be able to match their intensity level.”