Hockey may not be a varsity sport at Iowa State, but do not tell the fans that. By 7:20 p.m., the line to get into the Ames/ISU Ice Arena was out the door and nearing the parking lot.

As the Huntsville Havoc skated out onto the ice, the boos echoed but were interrupted by the roar of the Cyclone fans as Iowa State followed behind.

Excitement filled the air as the puck was dropped Friday night to begin the first game of the two-game weekend series with Huntsville.

After squandering an early opportunity from Huntsville, ISU freshman forward Austin Parle found the back of the net to score the first goal of the season for the Cyclone Hockey Club.

“It’s always been a dream of mine to be on the hockey team,” said Parle, a native of Ames. “It felt good to score the first goal of the season.”

After Parle set the pace with his goal, the rest of the hockey club followed suit with two more goals in the first period, one goal in the second and two more in the third. By the time the last horn sounded, the Cyclones had topped Huntsville 6-1.

“We played real well,” said coach Al Murdoch. “That was a very skilled team we played against.”

Murdoch noted the Cyclones have a few things to work on, such as making changes quicker. But since it was the first game, he was happy with the club’s play.

“The defense did their job; they made it easy on me,” said senior goalie Paul Karus, who saved 31 of 32 shots on the night.

Karus was proud of his club’s play, especially since it had had only one practice so far this season.

Other than a major penalty for a hit to the head from Parle that removed him from the game, the Cyclones committed few penalties.

Although Murdoch was not enthused Parle was removed from the game, he shared that the referees were “just calling it by the book and trying to keep the game safe.”

Murdoch was, however, happy to report Parle would be allowed to play in the game on Saturday night. 

This turned out to be a blessing for the Cyclones as Parle once again came through for Iowa State, scoring two more goals in the second game of the series.

The Cyclones once again defeated the Havoc with a score of 6-1. Junior goalie Scott Ismond saved 43 of 44 shots for Iowa State.

“We have a good foundation to build our season on now,” Parle said. “It’s great to get those first wins. It builds confidence.”