The blood, sweat and tears shed by the Cyclone Division III hockey team has finally paid off with a shot at the national championship title.

For the first time in the program’s history, the Cyclones will be competing as one of the top 16 teams in the country at the American Collegiate Hockey Association’s National Championship this spring.

Many things have been working well for the team, considering its seasonal record of 24-8. But above all else, above all their victories, team members said they feel their success of the Cyclone D3 hockey team can be boiled down to one thing — perfect team unity and chemistry.

Coach Brendan Sheehan, junior in child, adult and family services, has been coaching the team for two years. Sheehan said he understands why the team works so well.

“It’s really just the chemistry,” Sheehan said. “A lot of teams maybe have one or two guys that just don’t fit, or some of the guys don’t get along well. This team has been the best team I’ve had the privilege of coaching as far as overall attitude and work ethic. There are no individuals; the whole team works together.”

Forward Kean Ludvicek, sophomore in management, recognizes the importance of team unity.

“We have a good balance between work and play,” Ludvicek said. “We have fun on and off the ice, but at the same time, we all work hard to be the best team we can be. Working hard is a given, but I feel like if none of us were having as much fun as we’re having, our team would fall apart.”

Defensemen Mike Lopez felt that without this unity, the team’s many victories would not be as sweet.

“If we weren’t so close off the ice, we wouldn’t be as cohesive on the ice,” Lopez said. “Without our team chemistry, we would never have been so successful.”

Another aspect of the team is its academic record. The team has maintained above a 3.0 cumulative GPA. The academic bar for the D3 squad is set even higher than that of NCAA hockey teams.

The team’s shot at the national title was sealed after a 5-3 win against Santa Rosa Junior College at the regional tournament in February. The stakes were as high as they have ever been.

“A playoff win or a league win is fun and exciting, but when you can be in the top 16 out of 140 teams in the country, and possibly the best in the country, there’s a lot on the line as a team,” Sheehan said.

Without a victory, the game against Santa Rosa would have been the Cyclones’ last game of the season. None of the players were ready for it all to be over. For the three seniors on the team, defensemen Jordan Calpus, senior in mechanical engineering; forward Ryan Foerstel, senior in materials engineering and head captain and defensemen Mike Scebold, senior in finance, this game was potentially the last of their college careers.

Using this as motivation to play like they never have before, the team said they came together in heart and soul and walked away victorious in what proved to be the biggest win for the Cyclone D3 hockey program in history.

A national championship title is finally within reach of the Cyclone D3 hockey team, a dream come true for the players since they first picked up a hockey stick and laced up their first pair of skates.

Center Mark Koske, freshman in pre-business, relates to the team’s relentless hard work.

“Our work ethic is definitely at a high level because we all work for one another,” Koske said. “And waking up at 5 in the morning for practice drives us to make our time worth the effort.”

Regardless of winning a national title, members of the D3 hockey team said they feel they will emerge victorious.

Calpus, who is retiring his career as a hockey player after the national championship this March, said, “Our team’s success can be measured by all the great times spent together. These lasting memories are what matters most, and that’s why we do it ‘for the boys.’”