Coming off a 4-0 win at Fort Dodge, the Ames Little Cyclones returned home to face Ottumwa, which was looking to rebound after a loss to Des Moines Roosevelt.

The first half was a defensive battle, as neither team was able to find the back of the net. Both defenses held strong, limiting scoring chances and keeping the match scoreless heading into halftime.

Ames broke through quickly after the break. Two minutes into the second half, Ames’ Ailie Goodman scored from distance to put the Little Cyclones ahead 1-0.

The offense then went quiet until late in the match, when Goodman struck again on a breakaway through the middle with eight minutes remaining to extend the lead to 2-0.

Ames added one more goal for insurance when Sara Bierbaum scored with two minutes left.

With the win, Ames improved to 2-0-1 on the season, while Ottumwa fell to 1-2-0.

Next: Ames will travel to Marshalltown on Tuesday for a 7:30 p.m. match.