After Thanksgiving break, coach Al Murdoch said his ISU hockey team had confidence after playing toe-to-toe with a skilled team in Vancouver. He hoped the confidence would translate into victories over an equally challenging No. 1 Lindenwood University.

The Lions (17-1-0), however, proved why they are the best team in the country, winning 4-2 Friday night followed by a decisive 6-3 victory in the series finale.

“They outshot us 32-24 [Saturday night], but that’s why they’re ranked number one,” said Murdoch. “They’re well-coached. You know, I have all the respect in the world for them. I think our guys know, ‘Hey, that’s number one.'”

Lindenwood outshot the Cyclones (11-14-0) in both games. Goalie Erik Hudson, hunched over after an exhausting weekend where his team allowed 10 goals to the defending national champions, struggled to describe the weekend.

“I don’t know. I don’t know,” Hudson said.

The Lions never relinquished a lead they built the entire weekend. Iowa State pulled within one or a tie multiple times, but each and every time, Lindenwood responded. On Friday, after a Cyclone power-play goal, the Lions notched the game-winner down a man.

“The game-winner for them was a shorthanded goal, and we were on the power play,” Murdoch said. “And that’s an error. We had one more error, and it was the difference.”

Special teams have been an issue for this team all year. And while chemistry is starting to come along, mistakes out on the ice have burned the Cyclones. Those mistakes play right into the game plan for Lindenwood, which took advantage of those and made the right plays to come out on top.

“That’s always going to deflate a team a little bit because that’s one thing we pride ourselves on,” said captain Cort Bulloch. “We know that’s a good team out there.”

The senior came so close last year before losing to these same Lions. Lindenwood returned many of its star players, including its outstanding goaltender. The Cyclones, though, lost most of those key players from last year. The growing pains of the young team are visible halfway through the season.

“We’re young, they’re not,” Hudson said. “They’re experienced, we’re young. We’re building. We got another half of the season to go, and we’ll probably see them at nationals.”

Hudson, a senior along with Bulloch, lost 2-0 last year in the championship game. Emotions were high during the rematch series. Frustration may have boiled over during the waning minutes of Saturday’s loss, when Murdoch and a player had a heated exchange on the bench, including the coach grabbing the player’s jersey.

“That was just a clarification of some of our expectations,” Murdoch said. “And sometimes, you know, you have to get their attention.”

Dr. Hockey is hoping this series will get the entire team’s attention. Reaching the midway point of the season, the Cyclones are three games below .500 and have only gained three series sweeps in 10 two-game series this year. When asked what the mindset of this team is, Hudson exhaled deeply.

“We got to put this one behind us. It was a tough loss, you know,” Hudson said. “Tough year so far. But, can’t say much about it.”

Lindenwood has lost only once on the year, and it came in the second game of the season. The Lions’ stifling goaltending, combined with a good defense, made the Cyclone offense sputter at times. Lindenwood transitioned from defense to offense well through the whole series.

“You don’t want to have a weak moment, and you don’t want to stay out on the ice too long,” Murdoch said. “Late in the shift, when we’re tired, we got some turnovers.”

The Cyclones have a tough week ahead of them. Not only will practice be challenging coming off two losses, but the student-athletes will also be preparing for finals like other students. Murdoch expects a lot out of his team every game and every practice. He has maintained those expectations all season. That being said, he understands the pressures of finals as well as skating with the nation’s elite.

“We got to clear our minds. We got a big week ahead of us — Dead Week,” Murdoch said. “We need an upbeat week, upbeat practices. Lots of skating, lots of puck-handling, lots of shooting.”

Iowa State will look to right the ship this upcoming weekend as the Cyclones host the University of Iowa on Friday night and a neutral ice contest Saturday night in Des Moines.