For the last time this season, the ISU men’s ice hockey team is in a win-or-go-home situation.

Iowa State travels to West Chester, Penn., for the 16-team American Collegiate Hockey Association National Tournament.

Unlike the loss that eliminated them from the Central States Collegiate Hockey League tournament, this time, a loss means the team will be going home for good.

“We got to take it one step at a time,” said captain David Moline. “If you take anything for granted in this tournament you’re done, you’re packed and you’re going home.”

No. 5 Iowa State faces No. 12 Oklahoma and – with a win – will most likely play its rivals, No. 3 Illinois, in the second round.

“Our primary focus right now is Oklahoma in game one,” said coach Al Murdoch. “We will have plenty of time between that game and the next game to get ready.”

Iowa State tied Oklahoma 2-2, and snuck out with a 3-2 win in a series earlier this season, proving Oklahoma could hang with them.

The elevation in the level of play that will accompany the ACHA tournament is another reason the team won’t be overlooking anyone.

“Everybody will have a little extra hop in their step,” Murdoch said. “The speed will be quicker, the passing will be better, the goaltenders will be playing their hearts out and it will be a step-and-a-half higher than we’ve been playing all season.”

ISU players cited the “do or die” atmosphere as a cause for the elevation in the level of play.

“Now it’s the big show,” Moline said. “I mean, now you’re lying down in front of everything, and it’s do or die, so everyone is going to be turning up the dial.”

For Moline, and fellow seniors Brad Czachor and Zach Peterson, losing at nationals means more than just the end of the season. It’s the end of their careers as Cyclone Hockey players.

“I’ve worked hard to get here, so has Zach Peterson, and Brad Czachor,” Moline said. “We’ve all been playing for a long time and we have nothing left to lose, so we might as well go out on top.”

In order to go out on top, Iowa State would most likely have to go through longtime rival Illinois.

“I think it would sweet if we could beat them again,” Moline said. “I’m fairly confident that it’s our turn this time.”

The rivalry has blossomed again this season, thanks in part to three close games. Iowa State lost 3-2, won in an overtime shoot-out and were eliminated from the CSCHL tournament in overtime by a score of 2-1.

“It would be sweet for me personally and especially for the team,” Moline said. “They’ve knocked me out of a whole bunch of tournaments.”

If the team advances past the second round of the four-round tournament, things become shady as to who they will play next, because of a seeding realignment that pairs the low seed with the high seed.

Iowa State, however, would have a legitimate shot at winning the national tournament for the first time since the record-setting team of 1999.

That’s a note the team wants to end their season on, and one that Moline would love to end his ISU career on.

“That would be one of those times where you can hang up your skates and say we did it,” he said. “We went out on top, and that’s the goal and the only thing on our minds right now.”