After 42 games played throughout the past 22 weeks, the Cyclone Hockey team will compete in its final regular season series this weekend.

No. 9 Iowa State (31-8-3, 14-5-1 CSCHL) will face No. 11 Central Oklahoma (24-11-3) this Friday and Saturday at the Ames/ISU Ice Arena. The last time these two teams met 19 weeks ago, the Broncos handed the Cyclones their first loss on the year. 

If the Cyclones are going to avenge this loss, they will to have to be ready to go as soon as the puck drops.

“The biggest thing is coming out early on a Friday,” said forward Mark Huber. “We need to be ready to go and not being lazy and slow to start, but come out of the blocks with an attitude of how important the first five minutes of the game is to set the tempo.”

To avoid a lethargic start against the Broncos, ISU coach Jason Fairman has been stressing the significance of every player buying into each shift. By doing this, Fairman hopes to erase the tiny mistakes on the ice that could cost the Cyclones the win.

But before the Cyclones even lace up their skates to play the Bronchos, Fairman is trying to create the best atmosphere to get his team mentally prepared.

“Usually come game time, all the coaching has been done during the week,” Fairman said. “It is just the matter of providing the right environment for them to get mentally ready for the game. So I need to figure out what the environment is for them by trying different tactics.”

Since becoming head coach of the Cyclones, Fairman has been introducing his style of hockey into the program. In the upcoming series, he hopes they grow this style further.

“We need to continue to develop and establish the type of team that we are becoming,” Fairman said when ask about what the key to the series with Central Oklahoma is. “I think we have done that. It goes back to where we were a month ago; I think we are much further along.”

The Central States Collegiate Hockey League Tournament will face the Cyclones next weekend. But goalie Scott Ismond wants to prepare to win the conference now.

“You never want to be going into something like the CSCHL playoffs with your last weekend being a weekend that you walked back,” Ismond said. “This is the time of the year that all teams want [to] end on a strong note to carry that momentum into the playoffs.”