Last weekend was the No. 8 ISU hockey team’s final test before the national tournament. The Cyclones (28-9-5) finished the regular season in blowout fashion with two wins over Waldorf College. The Cyclones won 9-2 on Friday night and 10-2 on Saturday night.

Captain Brian Rooney is the only senior the Cyclones have as far as eligibility goes, and he went out with a bang, with two goals in each game.

“I’d be lying to you if I said I didn’t want to score in my last game,” Rooney said. “I had like 10 or 15 shots on net and I was really kind of, up until the third period I was really gripping the stick pretty tight because I knew this was my last game, and I really wanted to get a couple of points to kind of go out on a good note.”

Rooney has 15 goals this season. Add that to his 14 assists for a total of 29 points on the season. He ranks fifth on the team in points.

“I’m going to miss the boys; I’m going to miss the fans; I’m going to miss everything about it,” Rooney said. “Hearing your skates crunch on the ice, hearing the fans yell when you score a goal, I’m going to miss the fights, I’m going to miss the hits.”

ISU coach Al Murdoch said Rooney’s last pair of games at home leaves a bittersweet feeling.

“It’s always hard when it comes to the end,” Murdoch said. “When you’re a freshman or sophomore, or even a junior it seems to drag on, but then the end comes, and it’s done.”