In the first game against Arizona on Friday, Oct. 21, the Cyclones didn’t convert on five power-play chances and gave up one goal to the Wildcats in a 3-2 shootout loss.

The following night, Iowa State (10-0-1-1) scored three goals with the man advantage in a 4-2 victory.

“We took them for granted [the first game] and got too comfortable,” said sophomore Chris Cucullu. “It doesn’t matter who we’re playing, we can’t take anybody lightly.”

Penalties quickly added up the entire series. In the second period of Friday night’s game, there were more than a dozen penalties, including three separate, simultaneous fights.

“I won’t say it was the refs, but I think everyone wants to win,” said freshman J.P. Kascsak.

The first game ended with 27 penalties for a combined total of 108 penalty minutes.

Coach Al Murdoch said he told his team to focus on not taking that many penalties following the game. Most of the penalties, he said, were out of retaliation.

“Their team is just so good at getting underneath the opposing team’s skin,” Cucullu said of the Wildcats. “That was our first night going against a team like that.”

The second night featured zero fighting and a miniscule 12 combined penalties. The power play improved dramatically for Iowa State with three power-play goals in a row, including one from Kascsak.

“I thought we had a lot of good opportunities on the power play tonight,” Kascsak said. “We’re still learning and have a lot of talented guys here.”

Murdoch went over things before Saturday’s contest, including strategy on screening the goaltender on the power play.

“It makes it difficult for [the goaltender] to see the puck and if a puck doesn’t go into the net, there’s often a rebound there,” Murdoch said. “We practice it during the week and sometimes the guys forget.”

Murdoch said all three power-play goals capitalized on that strategy. Cucullu said after Saturday’s game he was seeing that working well on the ice, getting players penetrating Arizona’s “house” and making it difficult for the goaltender to see anything coming his way.

“We like it when our [defensemen] shoot. It makes things less complicated by just getting the puck to the net and getting rebounds from there,” Cucullu said.

On the season, the Cyclones have converted on 12-of-54 power plays.

Iowa State hasn’t lost in regulation this season and sits atop the CSCHL with 32 points. It will try to continue its hot start to the season when it hosts division rival Illinois next weekend.