The ISU Cyclone Hockey club came within one victory of a national championship last season. A surprising run through the playoffs, including multiple overtime wins, ended in a shutout loss to Lindenwood University.

After a long summer, the Cyclones and long-time coach Al Murdoch are gearing up for another run at the championship as they begin the 2010-2011 campaign.

Murdoch’s squad lost seven seniors from last year’s team, including captain defenseman Brent Cornelius. But, Murdoch said, it’s time now to think about this season.

“Last year’s run is water under the bridge. We want to get back there and win the championship. That’s what we’re building our team to do,” Murdoch said.

Twelve players return for the 2010-2011 season. The small number reflects a rather large turnover of players. However, Murdoch has high praise about the new recruits coming in.

“Without a doubt, I think we’ve had one of our best recruiting years ever,” Murdoch said.

This year’s graduating class is looking to follow the winning tradition. Senior goaltender Erik Hudson has had one of the best goals-against-average in the American Collegiate Hockey Association the past three years and senior forward Mike Lebler was one of the leading goal scorers in the country. Both look forward to continuing their high level of play.

But replacing the aforementioned Cornelius is not easy. An All-American in the ACHA, the three-year captain certainly had an impact on his teammates.

“He would take control of the game,” said senior Cort Bulloch. “Having a solid guy on defense like that is huge.”

Cornelius made a good impression on his coach, as well.

“He was one of the best defensemen we’ve ever had at Iowa State,” Murdoch said.

The torch has now been passed to Bulloch. A co-captain of last year’s squad, Bulloch is poised to lead the club to another playoff appearance.

“It’s an honor, obviously,” Bulloch said. “It’s something every player dreams to be, and being a senior, it’s something special.”

Bulloch knows what his predecessors have done, and strives to follow in their example.

“Last year the seniors’ leadership was a big factor in our success for sure,” Bulloch said. “I hope I can do what the guys before me have done as far as leadership and motivation for the team.”

Murdoch likes what he sees in his new captain.

“He leads by example. He’s one of our hardest workers off the ice, and on the ice he’s just tireless and plays real hard,” Murdoch said. “He will bring great leadership to the team this year.”

Bulloch will be captain of a team with a lot of new faces. Freshmen are expected to fill up half the roster. The influx of talent is arriving from across the world, including Canada and Sweden, as well as regional talent from Minnesota, Wisconsin and even Iowa. They will be eager to show what they are made of, and to impress the upperclassmen.

“Having a young team is a change,” Bulloch said. “We have a lot of good recruits. I think we have a good pool of talent, and I’m excited to see how they look on the ice.”

The coach will also have his hands full with the talented, but rather inexperienced, bunch.

“The freshmen are looking real good,” Murdoch said. “But I have to be patient with them and the coaching staff in developing these guys.”

The Cyclones begin the season Wednesday with an intrasquad matchup at 7:30 p.m. at the Ames/ISU Ice Arena. While the winner is irrelevant, the action and intensity should not be overlooked.

“The intrasquad game could be as good as any series we have this season,” Murdoch said. “We’ll have 40 guys battling for the top 21 spots. I expect a physical, rugged game.”

With a tough schedule ahead against teams that made the playoffs last year, the Cyclones face a challenge to get back to the championship game. Murdoch has high hopes and aspirations for this year’s team.

“The fans are in for a treat,” Murdoch said. “I’d like to say we’ll be one of the best teams in the country, and I think we will be by the time the playoffs roll around.”

The captain echoes his coach’s goal.

“I expect nothing less than a national championship,” Bulloch said. “It felt good to be where we were last year. I want to get back there.”

The first regular season game faces off at 7:30 p.m. Friday against St. Cloud State University.