It was a series that had been highlighted, analyzed and prepared for since early December, when they last faced each other.

Unfortunately for Cyclone fans, the end result was all too familiar. The ISU hockey team once again got swept by rival Lindenwood University in a two-game series in St. Louis, Mo., losing 6-2 Friday night and falling in a 2-0 shutout Saturday.

“I thought we played pretty good,” said freshman Marcus Malmsten. “We hustled hard. We played really hard and I think we gave them two hard battles and I think it just came down to that we had some bad bounces.”

Against the No. 1 team in the country, the Cyclones (20-16) matched the intensity of Lindenwood (28-2) early in Friday’s match. Malmsten scored a goal to make it 1-1 early in the first period, but the Lions took control after that, scoring five unanswered goals to continue their dominance over the Cyclones.

“I think we came well-prepared for sure,” Malmsten said. “We might as well have come out with two wins. But we had some bad bounces, some bad luck. You know, hopefully we can get them this week, or at nationals.”

Coach Al Murdoch and goalie Erik Hudson returned after a lengthy absence for the World University Games. Murdoch knew what it would take to bring down the Goliath of Lindenwood, but scoring two goals in a two-game series rarely will get the job done.

“You can tell why they’re ranked No. 1 in the nation, give them all the credit in the world,” said Murdoch, who is still searching for career win No. 1,000. “Our guys played hard. We just need to be a step quicker. We need to be able to bury the puck when the opportunity presents itself.”

Iowa State did manage to tally a power-play goal, but gave up two to the Lions. In four games against Lindenwood this season, Iowa State has been outscored 18-7. The veterans that have led the Lions to national championships are once again asserting their dominance over the younger teams, like the Cyclones.

“We graduated four defensemen and four forwards, and that took a lot of maturity away from our team,” Murdoch said. “You know, we’re a young team. I thought we turned the corner from a young team to a seasoned team.”

These two teams know each other well. The rivalry has gotten more intense over the years, culminating in last year’s national championship game, won by Lindenwood, 2-0. After getting swept at home, Malmsten and his teammates were looking to get back at their bitter rivals. But an inability for Iowa State to score coupled with the veteran leadership of the Lions was too much for the Cyclones.

“It’s never good or fun when you lose, obviously you play every game to win and that’s always the goal,” Malmsten said. “So it was a disappointment to lose two games in a row, of course.”

Malmsten added that he felt the team grew stronger after the two losses. Murdoch said besides burying the puck, a focus on bringing the individual game to a higher level is key to winning these contests.

“We need to have that killer instinct,” Murdoch said. “I think on the weekend LU had it a little more so than we did.”