The No. 7 ISU hockey team came away from two games this weekend still looking for a way to beat Lindenwood. The No. 4 Lions swept the Cyclones in a two-game, closely fought set. On Friday, the Cyclones lost in a shootout by a final score of 4-3, and on Saturday, Iowa State fell 2-1.

Both teams were swept at home last weekend, and as a result both teams dropped in the rankings. The Cyclones were No. 5 last week and the Lions were No. 3 last week.

After Saturday’s game, coach Al Murdoch made a prediction.

“I told the players that if I were a betting person, we’ll see them four more times,” Murdoch said. “Two more in league play down at their rink, Central States tournament, and national tournament. My prediction is that we’ll beat them in the finals at the national tournament.”

Murdoch said the Cyclones will “get them when it counts.”

The Cyclones haven’t beat Lindenwood since they swept the Lions in Ames during the 2008-2009 season. The losing streak to Lindenwood includes the 2009-2010 ACHA National Championship, which the Cyclones lost 2-0.

On Friday night, the Cyclones were down 3-2 in the final minute and were looking for a goal. After Murdoch called a timeout, freshman forward James Buttermore delivered the tying goal with no time left on the clock. With just seconds left on the clock, the game plan according to Buttermore was to get the puck to the net and look for a rebound and it couldn’t have worked out better for the Cyclones.

“We needed that enthusiasm the whole game instead of just in the last minute,” Buttermore said. “It was really nice to get that tying goal and still have a chance to win the game.”

On Saturday night, the Cyclones played another close one but once again came up just short. They scored the first goal of the game for the second night in a row. Sophomore forward Jon Feavel scored the Cyclones’ only goal in the first period.

After the pair of losses, Iowa State is now looking ahead to a pair of exhibition games against the Maple Grove Energy of the Minnesota Junior Hockey League on Friday and Saturday night in Ames.