CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — One win and one loss were the result of the tough weekend the Iowa State hockey team spent on Illinois ice.

After lacing up their skates Friday evening, the Cyclones dished the Illini their first home loss of the season by a score of 6-3.

Assistant Coach Bill Ward said, “To hand Illinois their first home loss is pretty big. Of their six overall losses, we’ve handed them three.”

But on Saturday, the Illini got revenge when they returned the favor by defeating ISU 5-3. ISU’s overall record now stands at 27-5.

The Illini needed the win to be in contention to earn a spot in the national tournament that will be held at Hilton Coliseum in March.

On Friday, ISU routed Illinois and its rowdy crowd with the support of its traveling pep band, cheerleading squad, parents and friends. The ISU faithful helped the team overcome the ever-popular “You suck!” cries shouted at Cyclone affiliates.

ISU’s Darcy Anderson, Terry Conlin and Chris Poli each picked up goals in the first two chapters of fast and physical hockey, only one of which was answered by the Illini.

Coach Al Murdoch said his team adjusted “rather quickly” to the extra 25 feet in width of the rink.

But the Cyclones weren’t the only ones making adjustments. The Illinois home crowd had to adjust to losing after witnessing the Illini defeat — something that hadn’t happened all season.

Although Illini opened the third with a power play goal to put the score 3-2, Cyclones Bob Dressel, Tom Grimwood and Conlin responded in threefold, each netting a goal. Illinois made the final goal to end the game at 6-3.

The outspoken and ostentatious Illini crowd known earlier in the evening became almost somber while leaving the rink as the Cyclones celebrated their win.

ISU’s Brian Wierson said, “The win [Friday] night was fun — their crowd is fun to play in front of because they hate us. The pep band and the cheerleaders were definitely a bonus.”

Wierson said that the men played a “disciplined” and “smart” game, using their heads and avoiding penalties when play became “chippy.”

Then came Saturday.

Like Friday, ISU scored the first goal and the teams played fairly evenly. But unlike Friday, the Illini were able to respond.

Other differences in the second game included the absence of forward Conlin (who was unable to play because of a fighting penalty on Friday) as well as the absence of the pep band.

Assistant Coach Hakaan Walltin said Illinois seemed “more eager to win” the second game.

The second period on Saturday didn’t sail along as smoothly for the Cyclone skaters. Illinois erased the tie and put a lead (2-1) on the board for the first time on the weekend.

The final period sealed the Illinois victory, and Cyclone penalties slowly destroyed the cardinal and gold’s momentum.

Wierson said, “We just couldn’t come back.”

A penalty shot awarded to Illinois with less than one minute of play didn’t help matters either. Because the Cyclones had one man too many on the ice, Illinois was given a chance to score.

The Illini brought skater Mark Riehle out of the penalty box to take the shot on Cyclone goaltender Rob Howitt. He used an illegal stick to snatch the game’s final goal, which set the score at 5-3.

Howitt tallied 67 saves on the weekend. Murdoch said, “He played like a pro.”

Murdoch called the game officiating “unusual.” Unhappy that the goal remained on the board and that a penalized player was allowed to take the shot, he said, “Common sense said neither one of those things should be allowed.”

Still, he gave the Illini credit, saying they are a “pretty good team.”

Seeking positives in the experience, Wierson said, “Sometimes a loss is better than a string of wins because the reality check puts you back in your place. It lets you know you have to work that much harder.”

Ward said ISU needs to develop the capacity to play tough during the entire 60 minutes.

He said, “We have a chance of seeing [Illinois] two more times, and if we do, we’ll be ready.”

ISU hosts Wisconsin-Whitewater on Friday and Saturday night.