Kansas may not have been the greatest competition for the ISU hockey team, but it provided a chance to prepare for its next opponent.

ISU coach Al Murdoch said Kansas was a “little thinner as a new, young team.” Regardless, Murdoch said he was satisfied with his team’s play, pointing out it had only one penalty.

“We hope to keep it that way,” Murdoch said of the team’s low penalty rate.

The Cyclones (6-1) came out with a bang to start their first game of the weekend series on Friday, scoring five goals in the first period. They continued their scoring through the game en route to a 9-1 win.

Junior forward Jon Feavel completed a hat trick — scoring three goals in one game — and junior goalie Matt Cooper saved 10-of-11 shots in the win. 

“The defense did what they had to do,” Cooper said. 

Although the Cyclone defense performed well, senior defenseman Brandon Clark shared his feeling that there are still skills ISU can refine.

“We constantly got to improve,” Clark said. 

Following the Huntsville Havoc scrimmages earlier in September, Murdoch shared his goal of making changes quicker. Following the Kansas game on Friday night, Murdoch said he did notice improvement.

“Changes were pretty good,” Murdoch said. “It’s important to change on the fly.”

Even with the improvement in the speed of the changes, Murdoch articulated his desire to see the team keep possession during the changes and, in turn, wear the opponents down.

The Cyclones followed up their win on Friday with a 9-0 shutout victory Saturday. In that game, sophomore forward J.P. Kascsak earned a hat trick, and junior goalie Scott Ismond went 17-of-17 in saving shots. 

Kascsak’s three goals ties him for second on the team in scoring, and Ismond’s perfect night in the net raised his save percentage to .951 for the season. 

“Overall, I thought it was a productive weekend, and it was nice to see some of the younger guys who haven’t had a lot of playing time stepping up and contributing both on the ice and on the bench,” Clark said.

While the Cyclones were not tested against Kansas, they found a way to make the most out of the opportunity.

“We tried to improve each shift, and by the end of the weekend, we got better at the little things,” Cooper said.

The team has its sights set on the top as it moves through the season. 

“My hopes are set on a national championship at the end of the year and progressing as a team each and every week,” Clark said.

The team will play two games with Arizona State on Friday and Saturday in Ames. The puck will drop in both games at 7:30 p.m.