It’s been only a few months since an underwhelming season ended without a playoff appearance for the first time in Cyclone hockey history.

Instead of battling for the Murdoch Cup, coach Al Murdoch hit the recruiting trail hard, trying not to repeat the sour ending this year.

“It was a tough deal,” Murdoch said. “We lost the bid in fall semester. We didn’t work as hard and as effectively as we should, but we’re not going to make that mistake again.”

Iowa State transitioned into a very young team last season, with half the team comprised of underclassmen. The mental errors and inability to finish games were just a few factors that brought demise on a team just one year removed from a runner-up finish in the title game.

“I think it was a combination of things,” Murdoch said. “We had a lot of youthfulness and, if anything, the youthfulness last year is no longer with us. The team we have now is a pretty darn mature team.”

Brian Rooney, a senior forward, said it was a massive disappointment.

“I didn’t think we deserved to be there,” Rooney said. “We didn’t play good enough down the stretch and we didn’t play good enough in the middle of the season.

“When you have 20 years of alums asking you why you didn’t make the national tournament for the first time, it’s really embarrassing.”

So, Rooney said, the veterans took this summer to workout hard in order to be better prepared for a season that begins in September and doesn’t end until February.

The expectation this year is to win, of course. Murdoch likes his current squad despite having freshmen at every position.

Both the coaching staff and the players are making a concerted effort to win games early in the season and avoid the rough start experienced a year ago.

But is this team better than last year’s squad, which had a similar youth movement?

“Yes, no question in my mind,” Murdoch said. “Our guys showed more heart. Right away in the first weekend of the season, I just saw a lot of heart, heart you see in second effort and winning the battles in the trenches.”

‘Grandpa’ Rooney

Unlike last year, where young guns were mixed with several seniors, the team is starved of true veterans. Players like Brody Toigo and Paul Karus have been around for a couple years, but Rooney represents the one and only senior for the Cyclones this year.

Rooney was named team captain for the 2011-12 season.

“It feels good, but I’m here to win a championship, not to rack up individual accolades,” Rooney said.

As the only senior on the team, Rooney admits he feels old.

“It’s weird, I feel like a grandpa,” Rooney said. “Hopefully they can teach me a thing or two as well, being the old grandpa running around.”

Despite the age discrepancy, Rooney has committed to teaching the young guys and bringing in his own style of leadership.

A three-year starter, Rooney said he possesses the necessary experience to lead as someone who has been on a team that came close to a championship and a team that failed to even reach the postseason.

“Basically any problem or any obstacle this team will come across, I’ve been through it,” Rooney said. “Whatever these young guys need, I feel like I’ll be there to help them out.”

The youth is misleading, said both Rooney and Murdoch. Both noted that while they are freshmen in class at Iowa State, almost all have played junior hockey out of high school for one or two years.

The “freshmen” out on the ice are actually about the same age as juniors and seniors — 19 to 21 years of age.

The new captain said he actually prefers that the team he’s a part of is young and ready to play.

“A lot of people look at having young guys as a negative, but I see it as a positive,” Rooney said. “When we come out on the ice, there’s so much youth and excitement you don’t get on a veteran team.”

Freshman goaltender Peter Alexander, part of the extensive 2011 recruiting class, arrived about four weeks ago and said he got acclimated quickly with the captain of his new team.

“I really look up to the seniors,” Alexander said. “They’ve been here the longest. They know what they’re doing. [Rooney] knows what he’s talking about, knows what he’s doing, is a very good leader and respects everyone on the team.”

Replacing Hudson

Alexander is leading a three-way competition to take over a job at goaltender that Erik Hudson held for the majority of his tenure at Iowa State.

Two are freshmen and the other is a junior, Karus.

Alexander started Friday night’s game, allowing two goals. Murdoch said he played well enough to remain the starter unless someone beats him out.

“He had real good, consistent play for 60 minutes,” Murdoch said. “He stood in there, allowing one in the first and one in the second. He put you in a position to win the game.”

Alexander, who met Hudson before arriving at Iowa State, said it was an honor to be named starter.

“I thought I played good and [the coaching staff has] confidence in me and I have confidence in them,” Alexander said. “Every first game you’re always nervous, but I tried to keep my emotions in check.”

The freshman goaltender will get another shot at impressing his teammates and the coaching staff when the Cyclones host St. Cloud State University on Friday night at the Ames/ISU Ice Arena.