This weekend the Cyclone hockey team will head south to take on both the University of Oklahoma and the University of Central Oklahoma in a road series.

The Cyclones have faced both opponents already this season, sweeping Central Oklahoma, but losing both games to Oklahoma.  

“We are a better team since then, and I think if we work hard we can win both games,” said freshman forward Jake Flynn. 

The Cyclones will be going into the weekend on a four-game winning streak and with better momentum than they have had all season.

“This is what Cyclone hockey [fans are] used to seeing,” said coach Al Murdoch.

The team has seen much improvement in the past few weeks which helped contribute to their winning streak.  

“We have been having good positional play, defense and offense. We have also had a good balance of scoring in games,” Murdoch said.  

Working together as a team has also improved the Cyclones’ record this season.

“We have a good line combination, and guys are playing well with each other,” said senior Cort Bulloch.

The Cyclones are averaging around six goals per game, and in previous years they have averaged eight. The win streak and some maturation have boosted the total in the past couple weeks. Against Indiana last weekend, goals were scored by not only the upperclassmen, but the underclassmen as well.

“We are starting to see some of our other players stepping up,” Murdoch said. “[Chris] Cucullu and [Justin] Wilkinson are an example. They had great defensive styles, and the rest of the team should step up to the level that Wilkinson does.”

Although the Cyclones have beaten Central Oklahoma, the competition will be tough, and they know they’ll have to stay focused to come out of the state a winner.

“These are some top-notch teams, and it will be a hard-fought battle,” Bulloch said.  

The Cyclones are sitting at 9-9, and during Thanksgiving Break, the Cyclones will be in Canada.

Up north, Iowa State will take on the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University and Trinity Western University.   

The next home game will be Dec. 4. The Cyclones will battle the current No. 1 Lindenwood University in a two-game series.