Big. Huge. Confidence booster.

Whatever you want to call it, the ISU men’s hockey team captured something last weekend it most definitely desired: a sweep.

Trailing by 12 points to Western Michigan prior to the weekend series, the Cyclones swept the Stallions 5-1 and 4-0 in a Central States Collegiate Hockey League (CSCHL) contest at the Ames/ISU Ice Arena.

With the two wins, Iowa State improves to 19-12-2 overall and 6-5-1 in the CSCHL.

The Cyclones are only four points behind Western Michigan, which drops to 17-8-2 overall, 7-6-1 in the CSCHL. It was the Cyclones’ fourth consecutive win and the second weekend sweep in as many weeks.

In Saturday’s contest, Iowa State jumped out early to a 1-0 lead with 17:54 remaining in the first period as Paul Kaczor scored off an assist from Tom Bass.

The second period belonged to the Cyclones.

In the session’s opening minutes, Nick Spring tallied the second ISU goal from Bass’s second assist.

Tim O’Shea’s goal with 15:42 remaining gave Iowa State a 3-0 advantage. As the crowd chanted O’Shea’s name, the sophomore connected again as he blasted in a slap-shot power-play goal with 9:35 remaining in the period after a pass from Travis Denzel to make it 4-0.

“We needed those two wins really bad,” O’Shea said. “I got some good feeds. Denzel hooked me up really good.

“We were working the power play great today. Everything was clicking real well. I couldn’t do it without the forwards,” he said.

Earning the victory in the net was goalkeeper Jason Katz. The freshman from Highland Park, Ill., stopped all 24 Western Michigan shots.

Assistant coach Brian Wierson said that the two wins were crucial.

“I think it sent a statement to not only the CSCHL but to the rest of the nation too,” Wierson said. “There were a lot of people saying that Western Michigan was going to sweep us because of the teams that they had already beaten earlier in the season.

“I think it shows our composure and our will to win is where it should be. We’re going to be coming hard at everybody this semester,” he said.

In Friday’s contest, Iowa State established a two-goal lead first period — one from Spring and the other from Travis Fast on a power play.

The Cyclones added two more power-play goals in the second period. Denzel tallied the first ISU goal in the period off a feed from Bass while Scott Hagen put the Cyclones ahead 4-0 off an assist from Denzel.

Western Michigan got on the board in the second period on a goal by Joe Moreau.

Denzel received his second goal of the night — a short-handed score — after an assist from Fast. Katz earned his first Cyclone victory as he stopped 21 shots.

“My confidence level is really good. I give all the credit to my lineman,” Denzel said. “Every single goal that I’ve had, its been right there for me.”

This weekend, Iowa State faces a tough Illinois team that is in first place in the CSCHL. Wierson said he has a pleasant dilemma in who to start in the net.

“We’ve got the two new goaltenders in here this semester (Katz and Nolan Thompson),” Wierson said.

“It’s not going to be easy as coaches to name a starter for this weekend’s games. We’re just going to see who works the hardest in practice and go with who we feel gives us the best chance to win.”

O’Shea said the team will try to get two wins from Illinois.

“We got four wins in a row right now. We’re on a high right now,” O’Shea said. “Everybody’s playing well and I think we can do it, I really do.”