What a difference a month makes.

After going 2-8 in October, the Cyclones have rattled off four straight wins in November and are back at .500.

“We’re starting to play like Cyclone hockey teams are accustomed to play,” said coach Al Murdoch. “I’m feeling quite good about the growth of our program.”

A sweep on the road against Kent State and the same result against Indiana this weekend may have been the transition Iowa State (9-9-0) has been looking for from inexperienced team to dark-horse contender in the American Collegiate Hockey Association. The new faces are building chemistry every week, and it’s showing.

“A lot of it is our confidence as a team,” said senior captain Cort Bulloch. “Going on the road and getting those two wins at Kent State definitely solidified what we thought our capabilities would be. I think we’re just rolling right now.”

The Cyclones peppered the Hoosiers (4-11-0) with 83 shots on net between the two games. Freshmen James Werner and Jake Flynn once again filled the stat sheet with points, including goals on the aligned power play.

“I’m feeling really good about our power play,” Murdoch said. “As the rest of our game comes together and we start to show more maturity, our power play and our penalty killing will get better.”

The maturity part of the game is developing each weekend for Iowa State. Sophomore Justin Wilkinson, named ISU Player of the Week, said at the start of the year, teammates were trying too hard and being too individualistic.

“Now we’re dumping it in and working the puck and getting more shots instead of trying to dipsy-doodle and then move the puck,” said Wilkinson. “We’re keeping it a lot more simple.”

And to keep it simple, players can’t think too much but just go, Murdoch said.

“They’re thinking too much. So many young guys are just thinking too much,” Murdoch said. “They got to be able to just react and go.”

Bulloch said before a game, players have to ease their mind because if not, they grip the stick too tight, and passes don’t connect well.

“Most of the new guys and even us older guys can analyze the game too much,” Bulloch said. “The worrying and anxiety feelings can hinder your performance. What you really have to do is not think about it too much and just go play.”

The Cyclones hit an ugly patch in October, failing to win a series in the month. Outscored by a whopping 35-13 in eight losses, the slumping offense put the burden on the defense, which could not handle the extra load. But now, Iowa State has found itself quite a nice offense, with at least five goals in the four-game winning streak. Murdoch said speed has been a factor in that.

“We’re starting to use the speed that we’re capable of. We’ve had the speed all along, but we just haven’t used it,” Murdoch said.

The Cyclones scored three times on the power play during the two games against the Hoosiers. In all, Iowa State has outscored its opponents 23-8 in the past four games. The lopsided totals means the offense is getting its looks and cashing in, and also the defenders, like Wilkinson, are doing their job well.

“He had good solid defensive play, played with a never-give-up style,” Murdoch said. “He showed good leadership to the young defensemen on the team. He didn’t take any unnecessary penalties and didn’t back down.”

Iowa State will look to continue its winning ways as it travels to Oklahoma this weekend for two games in Oklahoma City. The Cyclones will square off against the University of Oklahoma on Friday and the University of Central Oklahoma on Saturday.