With the hockey season almost half over, Iowa State will face its sixth-ranked opponent in as many weeks.

In those six series, Iowa State has a record of 5-5 with one loss in a shoot-out.

This weekend, the Cyclones will take on ninth-ranked Central Oklahoma with the hopes of improving their record and ranking.

In the last two weeks, Iowa State’s goaltending has come alive. Freshman Paul Karus has been working Friday nights, while Erik Hudson has started Saturday nights. The team recorded its first shutout last Saturday, which has the team bringing a high level of confidence against another ranked opponent.

“We’re kind of getting into a flow,” said coach Al Murdoch. “The goaltending is solid no matter who we play, the defenders are not giving a lot of high-percentage shots, and the forwards are scoring consistently.”

In the last three games, Iowa State scored 18 goals and is now averaging 5.75 goals a game. A big reason the Cyclones are scoring so much is the play of the current seniors.

“I look for the seniors to play at the highest level possible,” Murdoch said. “They’re getting in pretty good shape, they’re passing and shooting are real good. Statistically, they are all on pace to have a record year, and that’s the perfect way to finish their senior year.”

Central Oklahoma comes into this game with an 11-5 record and a 2-2 record on the road. Last season, the Cyclones split with them in Ames with a 3-2 loss in the second game.

“They beat us last year because they were more physical than we were,” said senior Derek Behrman. “Against a team like that we will have to use our speed; if the can’t catch us, they can’t hit us.”

Central Oklahoma is traditionally a very physical team, and for the Cyclones to outplay it, they will have to deal with that.

“We definitely have to be physical this weekend,” said senior Brad Krueger. “I think we are more talented than them, but they work real hard, so we’ll have to match their intensity right away.”

All throughout the year Iowa State has improved its special teams.

 Last Friday, versus Robert Morris, the Cyclones connected on three out of four power play opportunities. Along with the outstanding power play, the Cyclones didn’t allow a single power play goal against them, holding Robert Morris to 0 for 10 on power plays.

This kind of play is exactly what Coach Murdoch is looking for when playing a top-ranked team. Murdoch is also hoping that will transfer over to this matchup versus a top-10 team.

Over the last few games, Iowa State has tested every goalie it has played by shooting more than 30 shots a game. The players are hoping the number of shots they get will influence the outcome of the games.

“Our goaltending is a little better than theirs, so it will be important to test their goalie right away,” Krueger said.

The puck will drop at 7:30 p.m. both Friday and Saturday at the Ames/ISU Ice Arena.