An own goal being the difference in the Cyclones’ 2-1 loss to Illinois on Friday night was just one sign of a bad weekend for the Cyclones, as the Fighting Illini picked up the sweep, beating Iowa State 4-1 in Saturday night’s game.

The sweep cost the Cyclones a shot at the regular season CSCHL championship.

If Iowa State wants the title of champion, it is going to have to win it outright as the No. 2 seed in the CSCHL Tournament this weekend, opening up against Eastern Michigan.

“As a whole, we’re pretty disappointed about the whole thing,” senior forward Bill Adolph said. “There is still positives to take out of it — it’s a very disappointing two seed, but we’re still a two seed, and the good news is if we can get past Eastern Michigan on Friday, we get to play Illinois again on Saturday, and I know everyone is anxious for that.”

Sophomore goalie Erik Hudson agreed that the possibility of a rematch is enticing to the entire team.

“Coming into the playoffs I think it will be a different story because us and Illinois both have first round games and we will get to see them again and it will be a different game,” Hudson said.

In game one, the Cyclones struck first on a goal by Aaron Jakubic, who was assisted by Chris Mackay on the play and kept that lead going into the second period. This was impressive because Illinois’s ice rink, “The Pond,” is quite a bit larger than the Cyclones are accustomed to playing on.

Illinois struck back in the second period on a goal by forward Matt Jennings, tying the score at 1-1. Iowa State put forward a solid defensive effort otherwise, anchored by returning freshman defenseman Brody Toigo.

In the later part of the third period, disaster struck when the Cyclones tried to clear the puck out of the zone following a spectacular save from Erik Hudson, and the puck hit off an ISU teammate’s shin pads and got past Hudson, putting the Illini up 2-1 and that score would hold as the time expired.

Illinois used the larger ice to its advantage as it outshot the Cyclones 46-19 in the opening game and the Cyclones also took seven penalties to the Illini’s two.

“I’d say probably half of their 49 shots on Friday came on the power play, not that that’s an excuse, but special teams was the difference,” Adolph said.

In Saturday’s game, the Cyclones seemed to adjust to the size of the ice quite well as they closed the gap in shots, getting 28 on the net to Illinois’s 35, but still came up short, losing 4-1.

Iowa State picked up the intensity level for the second game and controlled the puck for most of the opening period and had a chance to light the lamp first when Mackay was dragged down to the ice, giving the Cyclones a penalty shot opportunity, but he was turned away and the first period ended in a stalemate.

Illinois wasted no time getting to work in the second period as they went up 1-0 just 2:38 into the period. Five minutes later, Toigo showed off his slap shot from the blue line and tied the score at 1-1. He was assisted by Mackay and Brad Krueger. The Illini scored once more before the period ended, however, and took a 2-1 into the locker room going into the third period.

Iowa State went shorthanded because of a penalty 6:38 into the third period and Illinois took advantage, going up 3-1 and eventually winning 4-1 to complete the sweep.

Iowa State has lost five of its last 10 games, and that is something associate head coach Brian Wierson attributes to tougher competition as opposed to weak play from his team.

“I don’t think we’re playing bad, we’re playing good teams,” Wierson said. “We played Illinois who was ranked number one in the country for most of last year and this year, a Stony Brook team who is doing anything they can to get in the top sixteen … We’re playing top ranked teams,” Wierson said.