It’s been an up-and-down four years at Iowa State for senior forward Cort Bulloch. Since the Fort Wayne, Ind. native arrived on the scene here in Ames, he has seen the Cyclones (24-17-0) go to the national tournament every year, including last year’s magical run to the finals.

But this year, he has seen his team come up short multiple times and fail to make it to nationals. So when he donned his No. 8 sweater Friday night, Bulloch still couldn’t realize this series against Northern Iowa was his last.

“For me, I was kinda soaking it all in, taking it for what it is and be happy that I’m able to lace up the skates for a couple last games, and you know, try to cherish it as much as I can,” Bulloch said.

The senior captain and his four senior teammates received recognition during the first intermission break Friday night during the Cyclones’ 9-0 romp over the Panthers, each receiving a new leather portfolio from coach Al Murdoch and a moment for picture-taking along with family and friends.

“Those leather portfolios are really valuable items,” Murdoch said. “I told them they’re all going to be millionaires.”

Bulloch, majoring in finance, said he has a few career goals in mind after graduation. One of his goals on the ice was tallying 100 career points. On Friday night, he reached that plateau, joining senior Mike Lebler in milestone achievements this semester. But for Bulloch, knowing this is the end of the road after a tenured career at Iowa State was tough to handle.

“It hasn’t really sunk into me yet,” Bulloch said. “I feel like my whole career flashed before my eyes standing there for the national anthem. I just kept thinking of my first time feeling so young and not understanding what’s going on, and now four years later, I’ve got a pretty good grasp on it. Kind of nostalgic, I guess.”

Bulloch scored one goal and assisted on three goals for his senior linemates Jordan Pascale and Matt Cohn, who registered his third hat trick of the season. The Cyclones had an easy time skating with the Panthers, who only suited up nine players.

Murdoch noted the effort and chemistry shown by the senior captains.

“I thought [Bulloch] played pretty solid, considering he had a partially separated shoulder in the Central States [Collegiate Hockey League] tournament,” Murdoch said. “He didn’t miss a shift and wasn’t about to miss a shift tonight.”

And he did not. The only player with a “C” on his sweater played through the adversity of the injury in a game that didn’t have any implication on postseason status for the Cyclones. Bulloch has been the literal poster boy for Iowa State all year, and reflected on what it meant to have that designation.

“It’s been such a huge honor,” Bulloch said. “I know we have a lot of young guys, but they’re a good group of guys and couldn’t have done it without the other seniors. I’m thankful for every day that I get to put on the jersey. Being a leader is something special to me.”