The No. 9 ISU men’s hockey club dominated last weekend against St. Cloud State University, scoring 21 goals in two games.

This weekend it will face a tough Minnesota team.

Head coach Alan Murdoch said he looks for Minnesota to come in excited to play.

“They’ll be every bit as good as St. Cloud State, and will probably be better,” he said. “Anytime you play a team from Minnesota, they’re going to have good players.”

Murdoch said Minnesota will probably play a physical game

“They’ll be physical with us, I’m sure, but our players love that kind of game,” he said. “It should be a real treat for fans.”

The Cyclones are going in with no major injuries, something Murdoch said is good to have right before Finals Week and break.

Sophomore Allen Raushel said the team has to come out fast and hard to get the Gophers down early.

“We can’t go into this series lightly,” Raushel said. “We need to have the same intensity we had against St. Cloud State.”

The team also learned this week that several players had been nominated for awards for November from the American Collegiate Hockey Association.

Junior defenseman David Moline was named national defensive player of the month. Forward Travis Fast and goalie Trent Baker were also nominated for awards at their respective positions.

Murdoch said the Cyclones are really playing as a team now, and are aided by those three players.

“These guys are really playing well,” Murdoch said. “Moline is a player on the World University Games team, and this just shows the respect he has from the opposing coaches around the nation. Fast is on a record pace as far as goals and assists go, and Baker is playing as well in goalie as anyone.”

Friday night’s game starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Ames/ISU Ice Arena. Saturday night’s game will be part of a doubleheader with the women’s hockey club, which begins at 7:30 p.m. The men will follow at about 9 p.m.