Question: How does a team win when they can’t score? Answer: They don’t.

The No. 8 Cyclone Hockey team (16-3-1, 6-2-0 CSCHL) put this Q-and-A to the test in its weekend series against No. 2 Minot State (10-4-1). The Cyclones were able to limit the Beavers, who have averaged 5.2 goals per game this season, to only two goals in the entire series.

So the Cyclones were triumphant, as they beat the Beavers 2-1 on Friday and again won 4-1 on Saturday at the Ames/ISU Ice Arena. With these two wins, the Cyclones become the first team to sweep the Beavers this year.

Another first for Iowa State is that no other team has been able to limit Minot State to only two goals in a series. ISU coach Al Murdoch said goalie Matt Cooper and great play from the ISU defense are to be given credit.

“[Cooper] is playing outstanding,” Murdoch said. “I think that there is pretty good chemistry between him and the defensemen right now. And the shots that the opposing teams are getting are lower percentage shots.”  

Cooper, who has saved 93 percent of shots on goal this season, was able to stop 51 of 53 shots on net in the series against Minot State. He said in practice for the series, he was preparing to be more aware of everyone on the ice to prevent the Beavers from scoring easy shots.

Cooper said he also believes the chemistry between him and the defensemen is helping stop opponents from scoring. And to him, commutation is the key to this chemistry.

“It definitely takes a little time every year to get the feel of the team and the guys on that D,” Cooper said. “[The defense and I] have good commutation going. Whether it is me playing the puck behind the net or picking up on guys in the backdoor, we have been executing very well.”

In the second game of the series, the ISU offense was able to give Cooper some breathing room by scoring four goals. But for Cooper, a two-goal lead is enough.

“Personally, once we get that two-goal lead, I feel like we have already won the game because I feel I can shut them down after that,” Cooper said. “Once we got that third goal, I knew we were in it to win it.”

Forward Jon Feavel, who had one goal in the series against the Beavers, said without Cooper in front of the net, the two games against Beavers could have been a lot different.

“[Cooper] is leading the charge,” Feavel said. “He stops a lot of key shots, and he does it pretty timely. He’s stopping hard shots when we need him to, which changes the momentum of the game.”