University of Michigan-Dearborn dished the Iowa State hockey team its third and fourth losses this season in the Cyclones’ final weekend series of the year.

The Cyclone team came up one point short in both matches, losing 3-2 Friday night and 6-5 Saturday. ISU’s overall record is now 20-4, with all four losses by a one-point margin.

ISU won two of three periods in each match, but the lone periods Dearborn won were enough to earn the Wolves two victories against the nation’s big fellas.

Coach Al Murdoch said if the Cyclone squad has to lose, it might as well be now.

“They win as a team, they lose as a team,” he said of his players. Still, Murdoch added the fact that one bad period per game resulted in two defeats “makes it tough” for his hard-working team.

ISU’s Mike Ogbourne said, “This shows us what we need to do over break. We still have time to work on it.”

Friday night’s first period was scoreless, but the puck rolled Dearborn’s way in the second.

Cyclone goalie Rob Howitt waited wide-eyed at the net because of Dearborn’s numerous early shots on goals. He kept the puck away for eight minutes, but the Wolves managed to whip the puck past him to collect the first point of the match. Before the period’s end, Dearborn grabbed two more goals, putting them up 3-0.

In the third and final chapter, ISU rallied to score two goals in one minute’s time.

Cyclone Darren Anderson picked up one point off an assist from Bob Dressel. His cousin, Terry Conlin, collected a goal with the help of Anderson and Rusty Crawford, who pushed the puck his way. Conlin’s send into the goal decreased Dearborn’s advantage to one.

Despite third-period scoring, the Cyclones didn’t get another point on the board before the buzzer, and lost the match 3-2.

Saturday night’s match was much different, but it ended the same way for the Cyclones. ISU ran the rink for the first 40 minutes but lost the last 20 when Dearborn recovered from a four-point deficit to win 6-5.

“It’s never over until it’s over against a good team,” Murdoch said. “Momentum is a big thing. Once they got up a couple of goals, they saw [the win] was within reach.”

Off an assist from Anderson at the 12-minute mark, ISU’s Conlin scored the first goal of the night.

Two minutes later, the Wolves responded with a goal of their own. But the Cyclones had an answer only 53 seconds later as ISU’s Ogbourne garnered a goal courtesy of teammates Chad Evers and Brian Paolello.

A trio of Cyclone goals colored the period cardinal and gold and silenced the Wolves, who remained scoreless throughout the period. Chris Poli, Anderson and Greg Jones chipped in one goal apiece with the help of Conlin, Poli, Evers and Grimwood.

At the period’s end, the Cyclones led 5-1.

But the Wolves weren’t out of the hunt and came out in the third hungry for a win.

The Dearborn defense kept ISU’s offensive line from scoring by interrupting the flow of the puck in the Cyclone zone while their offense took advantage of several breakaway opportunities.

The Wolves picked up the pace of their play and pocketed three points in six minutes.

Still unsatisfied, the Wolves served themselves another point to tie the game at 5-5 with 10 minutes to play.

Ogbourne said Dearborn did “a good job of getting a lot of odd-man rushes.”

With 2:48 remaining, the Wolves broke the tie game with their six point, as their point total passed ISU’s. The Cyclones fought until the end, but no pucks passed the line and the team lost the match 6-5.

ISU returns to the rink for a match the weekend before classes resume on Jan. 9 and 10.