The Cyclone hockey team took to the ice this weekend in a fast, physical series and picked up two wins over the University of Illinois Fighting Illini.

Coach Al Murdoch said the Illinois team was the best Illini squad Iowa State has seen in several years. He explained that the final score “was not indicative of the play.”

But the final scores of the two matches favored the Cyclones and added two more wins to ISU’s overall record, which now stands at 15-1.

Friday night, the Cyclones beat Illinois 6-2. In the first period of the match, Illinois lit up the board with one goal while ISU stayed scoreless after 20 minutes of play.

After a shaky first period, the Cyclones stole the show in the second, racking up five goals and allowing only one. In the third period, ISU knocked another puck in to give the Cyclones a four-point advantage and a 6-2 victory.

Cyclone Darren Anderson picked up a goal Friday night, and Brian Wierson netted two. Mike Ogbourne, Mike Anderson and Rusty Crawford also contributed a goal apiece to the Cyclone cause.

Rob Howitt guarded the goal for ISU, stopping all but two of the 21 Illini shots.

Saturday night played out much like Friday, but was fairly penalty-stricken, especially the second period.

Murdoch said when two competitive and skilled teams such as ISU and Illinois get on the ice, the “tempers can flare.”

Neither penalties nor physical abuse hurt the Cyclones, who ended the game five points up, 7-2. Howitt handled the goalbox again, saving 21 of the 23 pucks shot his way.

Nick Krueger sent two pucks sailing into the Illini net, one in the second period and another in the final minutes of the match. Chris Poli knocked in a goal, as did Wierson and Tom Grimwood.

Crawford also snuck the puck past the Illinois goalie to pick up a point. With the help of an Illini defender’s skate, Brian Paolello also was credited with a goal for the Cyclone team.

Poli said the Illini team was a good skating team and comparable to Eastern Michigan. ISU and Eastern Michigan split earlier in the season, giving each team its first defeat. Illinois tied and beat Eastern in the team’s two meetings.

Poli said, “The difference is our goaltending. Rob’s playing outstanding.”

Murdoch said the same about Howitt’s performance. “Rob, as a senior, is playing extremely well,” he said. Because of that, Murdoch said there comes a time when goaltenders like Howitt see as much goal time as they can handle.

Offensively, all four lines scored goals for the Cyclones. Poli said Friday’s scoreless first period was not so solid, but “we pretty much shut them down for the rest of the weekend.”

“The good thing is, we’re beating teams and we’re still climbing,” Darren Anderson said.

The players are still striving to improve their skills and realize the need to have strong offensive and defensive lines.

“Balance, that’s what we’re shooting for,” Poli said.

Murdoch said the team as whole played well and the packed house added to the excitement.

He said that ISU plays well on the road, but the fan support at home is simply formidable.

Anderson agreed. “It was a very good crowd. They’ve always been our seventh man,” he said.

The Cyclones take to the road for the long haul of the holiday break. The team will play Colorado State and Colorado this weekend, and then will travel to Chicago for the Chicago College Classic, where they will again meet Illinois and Colorado State along with Penn State.

The Cyclone team returns to its home rink and home crowd Dec. 5 and 6 to play University of Michigan-Dearborn.