Cyclone hockey fans were given a first glimpse of what the team’s roster could look like after Friday night’s annual Cardinal and Gold scrimmage at Ames/ISU Ice Arena.

Returning players and prospective players both played a crucial role in determining the outcome of the scrimmage, the final score being 7-1 in favor of team Gold.

The scrimmage is used by coaches to make the necessary cuts in order to get to their final roster. However, coach and general manager Jason Fairman made it clear that there is still time left for prospective players to prove their worth.

“It [the scrimmage] helped a little bit,” Fairman said. “We’ll make final decisions after this upcoming weekend after seeing guys in real games. And we may even keep guys beyond that, so there’s going to be some tough decisions to make.”

While it is expected that every player gives it their all no matter what, the coaching staff pays closer watch to the new players than the returning players at the scrimmage.

“I kind of know what I’m getting from the returning players,” Fairman said. “I’m mostly trying to watch the new guys and see how they might fit in.”

For returning sophomore forward Hunter Dolan, it was good to get back in the swing of things and see who his prospective teammates could be.

“It’s good to see guys really trying and working hard,” said Dolan. “We got a lot of good, incoming freshman that are working hard and doing the things we need them to do.”

The team will play a home-and-home against Waldorf University next weekend, beginning on Sept. 21 at Ames/ISU Ice Arena.

This next week of practice will be crucial for all of the players, whether returning or not, as the team prepares for their first game.

Returning senior defenseman Nick Sandy is looking forward to being united as a team.

“On Monday it’s no longer competing against other guys. It’s right away into working together as a team,” Sandy said. “It’s a pretty quick turnaround, so it starts right away in practice. Setting the tone, making sure that the new guys feel welcome, and they understand the pace and work ethic that is expected of them as demonstrated from the older guys.”