The sound of bodies hitting the ice isn’t necessarily what motivates all hockey players to get up and down the ice, but it certainly gets Cyclone forward Mike Anderson’s adrenaline flowing.

Anderson, a stocky 6’3″ senior from Clear Lake, has been playing hockey since he was 6 and said he always has been inclined to put a hit on someone.

“The physical part is probably my favorite part of the game,” he said. “Maybe I enjoy it a little too much, but I just love to knock players on their back.”

It’s Anderson’s physical presence on the ice along with his unselfishness with the puck that has made him an integral part to the success the Cyclones have had in recent weeks.

“Everybody would like to have goals and assists, but I try not to dwell on the statistics,” he said. “As long as I have skated my best, and we win the game, I will skate off the ice with a smile on my face.”

Anderson, the third leading scorer on Head Coach Al Murdoch’s squad, ranks in the ACHA’s top 20 scorers tallying 33 points so far this season.

“The line of Anderson, Glenn Detulleo and Brian Paolello are playing extremely well right now,” Murdoch said. “They take quality shots, and that is part of the veteran leadership they are showing.”

Anderson said Coach Murdoch has played a big role in teaching him the benefits of self-motivation, leaving no room for his players to think negatively about what they are doing.

“Life is all about your will, and Coach Murdoch pushes us hard to achieve the highest marks we can,” Anderson said. “The players with the greater hunger to win are going to.”

Anderson’s younger brother Jon is a freshman on the Cyclone team, and he hopes Jon will learn the same system of hockey that has allowed him to taste success at Iowa State.

“I’ve been told that we play very similar,” Mike Anderson said. “He is a big strong kid, and he isn’t just my little brother, he is a good hockey player.”

Mid-way through his final hockey season at ISU, Anderson said he is unsure if he will pursue a higher level of hockey after the season.

“I am going to wait to see what opportunities arise after the season, but I would love to continue playing,” he said. “I’m not sure if the hockey bug will go away, and you only stay young for so long.”

Before the season ends, however, Anderson hopes he can give the younger members of the team a perspective on what it takes to be successful at ISU.

“I try to show the young guys that we are out here to have fun and winning is fun, but winning takes a lot of hard work,” Anderson said. “We don’t play hockey for a scholarship; we play hockey for the rest of the guys on the team.”

It’s that sense of togetherness that Anderson said pushes the team through the long practices and tough losses that may occur.

“Everything in life gets hard, but no one else is quitting,” he said. “This season we are on our way up, and we are proud of what we do and how we do it.”

Anderson said his dream would be for the season to culminate in a National championship, but he also knows there is work to be done if the Cyclones are to realize that dream.

“We have to play hard and show up for every game,” he said. “I’ve made some great friends while I’ve been here, and if it ends up we don’t win it all, I will always be glad I played hockey just for that reason.”