The Cyclone hockey team will be facing some tough competition at home Friday and Saturday for Family Weekend against the University of Oklahoma.    

No. 2 Iowa State (3-1-0) and No. 6 Oklahoma (5-1-0) are the only two Big 12 representatives to the American Collegiate Hockey Association.

“They are very good competition, and definitely a top 10 team,” said coach Al Murdoch.  

The Cyclones will be expecting Oklahoma to be very physical and fast on the ice.

 “They are going to be our best competition yet,” said senior forward Mike Lebler.  

Although the competition will be fierce, the Cyclones have been working hard in practice.

“We have been pushing pretty hard at practice, but we are getting stronger, faster and better at handling the puck,” Murdoch said.

Last weekend, the Cyclones swept the University of Central Oklahoma, and they are hoping to add a couple more wins against the southern state to the record column.

“We are in better shape, and we have been working hard the last two weeks,” Lebler said.

In order to score goals against Oklahoma, the Cyclones need to step up their game. The team will be looking to capitalize on every opportunity, and getting the Sooners into the penalty box is key to that. 

“We have to put a huge emphasis on the power play to score, and when we take penalties we need to be threatening,” Murdoch said.

The games are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Ames/ISU Ice Arena.  

“The games this weekend will be definitely be a crowd pleaser for family weekend,” Murdoch said.