The Iowa State men’s hockey club opened the spring semester with two games against Illinois. Faced with stiff competition, the Cyclones fell short in both games, losing game one 4-3 and game two 4-1.
Friday night recap
The Cyclones made their second semester home ice debut against Illinois on Friday.
However, Iowa State couldn’t find the opportunity to come back to win, as the Cyclones fell to the Fighting Illini 4-3.
The three goals scored by Iowa State started after defenseman Gabe Myers in the first period. Forward John Kovarik found a way to score two goals in the third.
Iowa State goes down 2-0 in the first period
As Iowa State made its return for its second-semester opener, its main goal was to extend its win streak. After the Cyclones took their first victory of the semester against Northern Illinois, they looked to win at home on Friday. Ultimately, that didn’t happen, but Saturday was a clean start.
Iowa State stayed competitive throughout the first period, but penalties put the team in a tough spot. The Cyclones earned a five-minute major early in the period but were able to dominate defensively to avoid trailing the Fighting Illini. Despite the high energy, Iowa State allowed two goals in the first.
The Cyclones’ penalty kill was a defensive strength throughout the night. The small changes in the game preparation have shown to push the Cyclones to become a more confident team.
“I think it was a lot of just this week working in practice on what penalty kill to play against which power play,” Iowa State defenseman David “DJ” Girardi said.
Cyclones trail big in the second period
The second period looked like Iowa State’s chance to make its way back into the game. Between the penalties and being down three, the Cyclones needed a miracle to get back into the game.
Although Iowa State remained scoreless in the second period, the penalty kill continued to be a solid component of the Cyclones game.
As Iowa State still had nothing to show, accountability and leadership were severely needed. The role of the captain is vital in all circumstances but especially when the team is in a tough situation.
Iowa State’s captain, defenseman Jacob Schuldt, gave credit to his team, and rebounding quickly from errors is best to push the team forward.
“We have great leadership on this team,” Schuldt said. “We have a lot of guys that go out there and make a difference in the game.”
Iowa State avoids shutout, still falls 4-1
The Cyclones entered the final period scoreless, and that desire to score served as an energy boost.
With nothing else to lose, Iowa State gave Illinois a pestering, as the new goal forced the Fighting Illini to be as physical as possible. This meant nothing to the Fighting Illini because they scored their fourth and final goal of the night.
The night ended with a spark for Iowa State after the Cyclones finally scored their lone goal of the game.
Myers scored the goal and was assisted by defenseman Riley Kress and forward Michael Mulkerrin at 14:12 in the period. Avoiding being shut out was the best it was going to get for the Cyclones.
“I’m just glad we finished; it’s not good to give up,” Myers said.
After a tough loss, the Cyclones look to reset and get a home victory this semester. The next home slate begins at 2:30 p.m. Friday against Illinois State.
