As part of this weekend’s Homecoming activities, the hockey team will be playing games in Hilton Coliseum this Friday and Saturday nights.

The decision to move the games to Hilton Coliseum from the originally scheduled location at the Ames/ISU Ice Arena was announced Thursday morning by the Iowa State Center.

Iowa State Hockey Coach Al Murdoch was overjoyed with the news that his team would get a chance to show its stuff at Hilton Coliseum, an arena with more than 14,000 seats.

“It’s going to be great,” Murdoch said. “We just don’t have the space in our arena that we would like to have.”

The games will be between the Cyclones and the perennial hockey powerhouse North Dakota State University.

“We have had just an outstanding rivalry with North Dakota State the past 10 or 12 years,” Murdoch said. “They have won seven national championships in those 12 years, and we’ve won one.

“When we get together, it’s always a friendly battle,” he said.

Darren Anderson, captain of the hockey team, agreed that the Cyclones have an intense rivalry with North Dakota State.

“NDS has always been a team that our fans have given a hard time,” said Anderson, senior in liberal studies.

“We really enjoy that support,” he said. “We’re just going to go out there and try to give them a fast, exciting, physical weekend of hockey.”

Murdoch recalled that the last time a hockey game was held in Hilton (aside from the national championship) it was a rousing success.

“We played before about 6,800 great fans when the temperature outside was 20 degrees below zero and the wind chill was something like 60 below,” Murdoch said.

“The lines were wrapped around the outside of the building to get tickets, and I think half of the people waiting in line just went home,” he said.

“Who knows how good of a turnout we can get with weather that’s half decent,” Murdoch said.

Anderson had a prediction for the turnout.

“I don’t think we’re going to have a problem pretty much filling Hilton,” Anderson said.

Murdoch said the regular prices for hockey tickets, which are $7 for adult, $6 for students and $5 for children will be used for the Friday and Saturday games.

He also said seating will be general admission.

The decision to move this weekend’s games to the Iowa State Center was not the first of its kind, and Anderson said he hopes holding hockey games in Hilton Coliseum during Homecoming becomes a tradition.

“We’re looking forward to this becoming a Homecoming tradition,” he said.

“You’ve got the football game Saturday afternoon, but there’s really not much happening at night.

“We hope we can fill that gap by giving our fans a good show,” Anderson said. “Plus, it is just a good celebration for the school.”

Murdoch said donations from several anonymous donors, including private individuals and businesses, are part of the reason the game in Hilton was made possible.

“We stand alone most of the time,” Murdoch said. “It is nice for once to have some businesses stand behind us.”

Standing alone is something the hockey team knows all too well.

The first stages of construction on the the new Ames ice arena, which is to be built in the near future, still has yet to begin.

“They’re still working on fundraising,” Murdoch said. “Last I heard, we were within $30,000 of reaching our goal. When we get to that, things like getting contracting bids will start immediately.”

Murdoch said the building the team currently plays in was never intended to be a spectator facility.

“At the time, we were playing our games in Hilton,” he said. “But it just became too expensive, and we couldn’t find time to schedule it in around all the other activities in Hilton.

“It got to be like Madison Square Garden in there,” he said.

Anderson said the team is looking forward to the new arena.

“Now when we’re at the rink, we always have something positive to be looking forward to,” Anderson said.

“We have a bright light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.

Anderson had to admit the community has been extremely supportive of the hockey team.

“The Iowa State community should be commended for their support of hockey,” he said.

“I have been around, and our fans are second to none,” Anderson said.