The Cyclone hockey team will be taking on the Hawkeyes on Friday for what is anticipated to be a sold-out crowd at the Ames/ISU Ice Arena. The second game of the series is Saturday at the Buccaneer Arena in Des Moines.

“We have done very well as a team against the Hawkeyes,” said coach Al Murdoch. “We lost to them the first time two years ago.”

Although the team lost two games to Lindenwood last weekend, the Cyclones are fairly confident they can pick up home wins this weekend.

“Our performance this past weekend was very good overall, and it is hard saying that since we did lose both games,” Murdoch said. “Lindenwood was very good, and we are very young compared to their team.”

The Hawkeyes play Division II hockey, which is a level below the Cyclones’ competition.  

“It will be a little less competitive, but it is still a huge rivalry so we need to be playing hard,” said senior Mike Lebler.  

Keeping the powerplay strong and staying out of the penalty box are key elements in winning games.  

“We need the powerplays to execute and we need to score shorthanded goals,” Murdoch said.

For Saturday night’s game, the teams will travel south to the Buccaneer Arena, which was actually the home arena for the Cyclone Hockey team during the 1969 to 1971 seasons.  

“It will be a little history lesson for the team,” said Murdoch.

The Cyclones will be entering the series with a 11-14-0 season record. The first game will be at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Ames/ISU Ice Arena, and the second game will be Saturday night at 8 p.m., at the Des Moines Buccaneer Arena.