Head coach Al Murdoch and the Iowa State hockey team return to action on Friday night for their first home game since early December.

The Cyclones, now 20-4-2 overall, are currently ranked second in the nation but are coming off their worst weekend performance to date.

“We came back a little fat and a little slow after Christmas break,” Murdoch explained, “and we didn’t respond quite as quickly as I would have liked.”

In their first weekend of competition since December 11, ISU lost a hard-fought 7-6 game at Eastern Michigan on January 8 and tied the same team, 8-8, the next day.

In game one, it was a group of Cyclone newcomers who shouldered the offensive load.

Trevor Turnbull, a recent recruit from Saskatchewan, Canada, picked up a pair of goals as well as some quality defensive minutes in his first game in cardinal and gold.

“Trevor has stepped right in and played real well on defense for us,” Murdoch explained.

Jesse Monell and Martin Birch, a pair of offensive newcomers, also performed well in their first game of the season. Each contributed a goal, and Monell added three assists.

“Jesse Monell has stepped in at forward and is looking real good for us,” Murdoch said. “Nine points in three games isn’t a bad start. Birch has stepped in and picked up a lot of minutes and some big points for us as well.”

Mike Ogbourne, a mid-semester acquisition for the Cyclones, was also impressive in the game. Ogbourne scored two goals to complete a four-point comeback late in the third period.

Unfortunately for ISU, Eastern Michigan had the answer in overtime, scoring just 36 seconds into the extra period.

The next day, it was again Ogbourne providing the late-game heroics.

After allowing a three-goal lead to slip away, the Cyclones found themselves down by one with under 10 seconds to play.

When Eastern Michigan was flagged for a penalty with seven seconds remaining, the Cyclones were awarded a penalty shot, and Ogbourne nailed it to tie the score.

Despite some solid play, Murdoch was not happy with a tie and a loss. In addition to discipline and conditioning problems, Murdoch felt the players may have taken Eastern Michigan too lightly.

“We probably looked by them too much to Bemidji,” Murdoch said.

Bemidji State provided the Cyclones their first NCAA Division I competition of the year, but Iowa State came up a little short, losing 8-5.

“We had a three-minute mental lapse, and they got three goals,” Murdoch said. “We played them tough in the first period and we won the third period, but they took advantage of our lapse.”

The Cyclones gave up four consecutive goals late in the second period, including three in the span of two minutes, 57 seconds.

Where recent additions had made the greatest impact heading into the BSU game, the Cyclone veterans were the biggest performers in this game.

Goals were turned in by Darren and Darcy Anderson, Brian Paolello, Glenn Detulleo and Tom Grimwood.

Despite the loss, the team feels as though it’s learned something from the experience.

“It’s an accomplishment for us, but I’m not satisfied,” Murdoch said. “I’d just as soon win those games. We’re as good as any Division I program in the country, and we’re willing to compete at that level.

“We have 12-15 guys that could be playing on any Division I school in the country, and I’m real pleased that we’re getting them here.”

Murdoch is quick to point out that the team has put the weekend behind it and is looking forward to continued success the rest of the year.

“We’re working on every aspect of the game,” Murdoch said. “We’ve worked a lot on hitting this week. We want to have a team out there that’s tough and physical, but clean.

“I want to develop the best student athletes that I can, and after 30 years, I think I’ve learned a lot about how to work with people and how to get the most out of them. It certainly hasn’t been by babying them and by showing them shortcuts. It’s been by working harder than the average student athlete does.”

Murdoch also assures fans that there will be no drop-off this semester as there has been in seasons past.

“I’ve never been someone that could just let the players sit on 20 wins and be happy,” Murdoch said. “Now we’re starting all over. After every game, win or lose, we start all over and take it a game at a time, a period at a time and a faceoff at a time.”

Their next challenge lies with the Buffaloes, who will arrive Friday for a two-game series.

“We just have to keep taking it one weekend at a time,” Murdoch said, “and this weekend is very important to us. Last year our ranking dropped off as we got into the second semester, and I’d just as soon not do that this season.”

One thing Cyclone fans will have to look forward to with the spring semester is an increase in the competition level the team will face.

“The rest of our schedule is tough,” Murdoch pointed out. “A lot of teams allow for a little drop-off late in the season, but our schedule just gets tougher.”

After this weekend, the team will head to the east coast for a tournament hosted by the current No. 1 ranked team in the nation, Penn State.

The Nittany Lions boast an excellent record and several strong lines of scorers, as well as physical players. Beyond that, the Cyclones are looking at the possibility of bringing the national title to Ames.

“A lot of the players like to talk about a championship, but I don’t talk about it,” Murdoch said. “If we get it, that’s great. Right now, though, I’m just looking to help each player play to the best of their ability. We take it one game at a time.”

The Colorado team the Cyclones will be facing tonight and tomorrow is talented but young. In their only meeting of the season, at the Chicago Classic tournament on November 28, the Cyclones hammered the Buffaloes 11-1.

“This University of Colorado team is a real young team and a real quick team,” Murdoch said. “Fans should expect some fast-paced, explosive hockey this weekend.

“It was nice to see the Cyclone basketball teams sweep Colorado. Now it’s our turn to sweep them this weekend.”