Cyclone Hockey drops the puck for its 50th season this weekend against Illinois State, in a battle of the ISUs.

Iowa State got their first taste of action last Friday during their Cardinal and Gold game, which the Gold team won 5-2. Cyclone Hockey’s Division 1 team has solidified their roster since then, giving the fans a new look to the team that takes the ice this weekend.

The Cyclones return several key players from last year’s team that finished the season ranked No. 5 in the country, including multiple team award winners such as team Most Valuable Player Kody Reuter, leading scorer Tony Uglem, Rookie of the Year A.J. Gullickson and Most Improved Player Brit Brothen.  

The team also returns two experienced net minders, both of whom are likely to see action, in seniors Derek Moser and Matt Goedeke.

With all the returning talent, it’s no surprise to see Iowa State start the 2017-18 season with the same No. 5 ranking they finished last season with.

After ending a strong year with a loss to national champion Central Oklahoma, the team harbors expectations of not only advancing further into the playoffs, but bringing a National Championship back to Ames. The latter of which hasn’t happened since 1992.

As for Illinois State, the Redbirds are currently 0-4 to start this season after being swept by Arkansas and Missouri State, respectively. The current leading scorers for the team are Connor Boscaccy and Robert Kalata, each with three goals and three assists through four games.  

Last year, the Redbirds finished with a 9-19 record in route to a ranking of No. 34 in the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA).

This offseason was one of transition for Illinois State, as former head coach Matt Marquardt stepped down from the program at the end of last season due to family concerns.

The Redbirds didn’t have to look far for Marquardt’s replacement, as Bobby DiNardi was promoted from within house to take his place.  DiNardi spent the past two seasons as the head coach of the Redbirds’ Division 2 team, guiding the team to the MACHA Gold playoffs last season.

Though the Redbirds lost some talent from last year’s team, including the program’s third all-time leading scorer in Tim Talty, they return plenty of key cogs as well.  This includes their two leading scorers from last season in Jeremy Norway and Joey Bower (36 and 31 points, respectively).

Marc Hayton (7 wins and a 90.9% save percentage), their top goaltender, and their top scoring defensemen D.J. Mussey and Dan Addie (16 and 10 points respectively) also return. 

Despite the Redbirds’ rough start to the 2017-18 season, Iowa State head coach Jason Fairman sees their previous games played as a distinct edge for them heading into this weekend’s series.

“It’s a huge advantage, and it makes me nervous,” Fairman said. “A team that’s more experienced can beat a superior team talent wise.”

Perhaps making matters more difficult is the unfamiliarity between the two schools. The Cyclones and Redbirds haven’t squared off at the D1 level since the 2015-16 season, where Iowa State swept the lone weekend series between the two.  Despite this challenge, Fairman is more focused on his team than on the opposition.

“Just like any sport, you have to make sure your team is ready,” Fairman said. “We’ll have had four practices before our first game, so we’ve got our hands full just trying to identify our strengths as a team and work on any early deficiencies that we may have.”

Regardless of the hurdles that Iowa State will have to face to start the season, the expectations from coach Fairman remain as high as ever.

“There’s some unknowns here, but as always, we expect to win every game all year,” Fairman said.

The puck drops at 7:30 p.m. this Friday and Saturday at Ames/ISU Ice Arena.