Cyclone Hockey is hot right now – red hot. The team is in the midst of a 13-game unbeaten streak and will try to continue its strong play Friday.

The Cyclones hit the road for a two-game series against unranked Western Michigan, which belongs to the Central States Collegiate Hockey League. Western Michigan played in the East/West Classic this past weekend, and although the Broncos didn’t win, they performed well against tough CSCHL competition.

“It’s my opinion that the nine schools that are part of the CSCHL are some of the best schools in Division I in the ACHA,” said Cyclone Hockey coach Al Murdoch.

This weekend’s game holds much importance for the ACHA’s fifth rankings of the season.

After this weekend’s games, rankings will be reassigned again. The Cyclones are ranked 5th in the ACHA. In-season rankings determine seeding for the end of the season national tournament.

The Cyclones added a huge selling point to their ranking resume Nov. 25 to 27 by winning the Cyclone Thanksgiving Classic. The tournament consisted of four teams: Iowa State, St. Cloud, Nebraska and Minnesota State-Mankato. The Cyclones breezed through the tournament and emerged victorious after three wins in three days.

They beat St. Cloud 10-3 Friday, shut out Minnesota State-Mankato, 9-0, and Nebraska, 8-0, Saturday and Sunday, respectively. They finished with six points – two points per win – two more than Minnesota State-Mankato, making the first game of the tournament the difference-maker for the Cyclones. Geoff Miller and Matt Johnson, who was named all-tournament goaltender, helped with the two shutouts.

“Sometimes you’re happy to have one or two in a season,” Murdoch said of shutouts. “We already have seven.”

Having three games in three nights may turn out to be beneficial for the Cyclones as they prepare for the CSCHL Tournament at the end of the season – the three-games-in-three-days format will have a somewhat familiar feel to the national tournament.

“In the national tournament, we want to play four games in four days,” Murdoch said.

“You win four games in four days – that means you’re in the Final Four. That’s where we want to be.”

One of the reasons for the relative ease in which the Cyclones won the Cyclone Thanksgiving Classic may be the extra confidence they had going into the tournament. In the Nov. 18 and 19 road showdown with ninth-ranked Robert Morris College, the Cyclones twice found themselves tied after regulation and overtime.

New rules put in place in the CSCHL for this season – in an attempt to model the changes of the National Hockey League – call for a shootout at the conclusion of a tied overtime to determine an outright winner.

It was the first time the Cyclones have been in a shootout situation, but the Cyclones emerged victorious both times, as Alan Raushel had the game-winner on Friday, and Jason Brown had the game winner on Saturday.

“Having to go down to shoot-outs is huge,” Murdoch said.

“It creates that positive momentum and it makes our players believers.”

The Cyclones now have the momentum of a 13-game unbeaten streak, and a coach who is absolutely thrilled with the play of his team.

“[This team] is a team that won 20 games quicker than any other Cyclone hockey team has ever won them. Twenty wins before the end of November. Wow!”