It is amazing what can change in just one day.

The No. 7 Cyclones (25-7-2, 10-4-0 CSCHL) struggled on Jan. 10 in the first game of their two-game series against unranked Indiana (4-11-3, 1-11-2 CSCHL), ending with a 3-2 shootout victory.

But things changed as the Cyclones’ sticks came alive for the second game on Jan. 11 to beat the Hoosiers 8-0. ISU coach Jason Fairman said that the successful offensive rebounding was all about finishing.

“We stressed this week finishing in the red zone in front of net,” Fairman said. “We talk a lot about this before the game. I said, ‘We are passing up too many scoring opportunities; let’s just get shots on net.’ I don’t know if that was the difference, but it felt like it was.”

With the 62 shots on the goal — 58 in regulation and four in overtime — the Cyclones had in Friday’s game against the Hoosiers, they were only able to score on two attempts. This means Iowa State was only able to convert 3 percent of its scoring chances.

In the series finale, this number jumped up to 15 percent, as the Cyclones were able to put the puck in the back of the net eight times on 52 shots on goal.

Goalie Scott Ismond credits this turn around to the team starting to return to form after the two-week hiatus during winter break.

“I just think things are starting to click for us,” Ismond said. “We may have caught a little bit of the turkey legs, but it is just being mentally tough as you are going down the stretch. And having those good habits we had before break will help lead us into March.”     

Fatigue could have also played a role in Iowa State’s ability to overwhelm Indiana on Saturday. The Hoosiers had nine players out due to injury, forcing them to go into series with only three lines compared to the Cyclones’ four. The fourth line allowed Iowa State to get fresher skaters on the ice more often.

Forward Chris Cucullu, who had two goals in the series, said that after the close first game, the Cyclones needed a big win to gain momentum for next weekend’s series against Ohio.

“I think the biggest change was we realized that we had to carry what we did in [Saturday’s] game into next weekend,” Cucullu said. “Not taking anything away from Indiana, but we knew we had a lot more to throw on the table tonight.”  

Friday wasn’t the first time Indiana has almost defeated Iowa State, though. In a series earlier this season, the Hoosiers were able take the Cyclones into overtime, where a goal by forward Jon Feavel helped Iowa State escape with a 5-4 win

One thing is for sure, however, the Cyclones needed the big win.

”It was very important for us to have a dominating performance tonight,” Fairman said. “If we had another close game, we would have some real concerns.”