Even standing behind the plexiglass at the hockey arena as a spectator, seeing hockey players attack the goal at full force is a scary moment.

Cyclone goalie Rob Howitt stands in front of the goal as wingmen and forwards charge his way, but he doesn’t get scared. He simply plays his position.

“You don’t really have time for emotions. The only thing you have time to do is react. You see what happens after that,” he said.

And what happens is that Howitt’s reaction to the skate-level ruckus happens to be A-grade. Last season, his skills won him the MVP award of the Central State Collegiate Hockey League Tournament. He was also named an all-tournament first-teamer at the American Collegiate Hockey Association National Invitational Championships last spring.

This season, Howitt, a senior, has played in eight of the Cyclones’ twelve games. He has garnered one shutout, picked up six wins and suffered only one loss, sparking his team to an 11-1 record.

“He’s fearless in the net. He’s the last guy, everybody in the house knows when the puck goes by him, the red light goes on,” Iowa State Coach Al Murdoch said.

And with Howitt hanging around the net, the red light does not flash often. In his eight games this fall, he has saved 135 of 154 shots sent his way.

Howitt, a native of Thompson, Manitoba, Canada, started playing hockey when he was five years old. “All my mom’s brothers played hockey when they were young. I jumped in there and followed right along.”

He started as a forward, but did not like all the skating. “They put me at net and it took off from there,” he said.

Looking for somewhere to play after high school, Howitt fished around to find a place he could continue playing on the ice. He asked his junior league coach, Danny Nichols, for some advice.

Nichols, a former ISU player who holds one of the highest career scoring totals in Cyclone hockey history, told Howitt to look at Iowa State.

Nichols also talked to Murdoch and said, “If you work with [Howitt], he’ll be the best you’ve ever had.”

Today, Murdoch says Nichols was absolutely right about Howitt. The Cyclone coach described his goalie as very responsive, focused and coachable.

But getting to ISU was not as simple as the conversations shared by Nichols, Murdoch and Howitt.

Only two days before ISU classes started, Howitt decided to come to Ames instead of going straight into a hockey league or another university.

“I just said, hockey and school, I couldn’t get the two together quite right. This was a perfect opportunity, so I came here,” he said.

His truck stuffed only with life’s necessities, Howitt made his first-ever trip to Cyclone country.

“You wanna talk about being scared. I was scared,” said the “fearless” Howitt. “I didn’t know a soul here. I didn’t know Coach Murdoch.”

After two days and “a long night” in Friley Hall, Howitt had registered for classes and had found a room in a residence hall.

Soon after, he had a team to play hockey with at the Ames/ISU Ice Arena.

“After meeting the guys on the team it was like I had been here all along,” he said.

Looking back as he nears the end of his ISU career, which has included four seasons and one redshirt year, Howitt said the players are what he likes best about hockey. He said he has tremendous faith in his teammates and their efforts.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that they’ll get their job done and I will get mine done,” he said. “We’ve been together a long time. We’ve seen and done it all.”

Howitt’s hockey memories range from high points to low, but he said two Penn State games stick out in his mind.

His first experience as a Cyclone goalie came on the road. “It was against Penn State and, holy cow, we took a shellacking. We were being punished.”

Despite the tough match, Howitt said, “I stuck it out.”

Since that first match four years ago, he adjusted to the speed and accurate shooting characteristic of collegiate hockey.

“Anytime we play Penn State, I am guaranteed 40 shots,” he said. “It keeps me on my toes. It’s just an action-packed game, and it’s a game I can challenge myself with.”

He said his biggest personal victory came in a match against the the Nittany Lions at the Chicago College Classic Tournament in 1996.

Assistant Coach Bill Ward said Howitt has improved immensely since his arrival.

“He is one of the hardest workers on the ice and off the ice, if not the hardest worker,” Ward said.

“He’s an outstanding player, outstanding athlete and a very highly-rated pro prospect,” Murdoch said.

Howitt said he would like to go on and play after he graduates. He said he hears a lot of stories about his opportunities to play professionally.

“I would like to,” he said. “It’s anybody’s dream to go onto the next level.”

Ward said Howitt is one of the top goaltenders in the country and “has the ability to play pro over here or in Europe.”

But thoughts of life in the pros have not taken priority. Howitt remains focused on the rest of the season.

The goaltender said his goal is to continue “to play to the best of my ability.”

He said he is happy that he made the decision to trek down from Canada to play Cyclone hockey. He said the fan support is “something incredible” and his first home game was “unforgettable.”

“I think it’s all worked out pretty well for making a quick decision like that. It’s been fun.”

For an able goalie with a record for reacting the right way in quick situations, it’s no wonder it has turned out so well.