It has been a rollercoaster of a start to the second semester for the Cyclone Hockey team.

It continued on Saturday.

The No. 8 Cyclones were swept by No. 11 Lindenwood, losing 5-0 on Friday and 3-1 on Saturday afternoon.

“We wanted to build a nice run off of our wins last weekend,” senior captain Chase Rey said. “Getting swept was very tough, especially against Lindenwood.”

However, Rey doesn’t see the sweep as a setback.

“We played pretty well for the most part and know what to expect from here on out,” Rey said. “We need to find ways to win games, especially after outshooting teams. Hopefully, it was a learning experience for us because it only gets tougher from here.”

The pair of losses came after what looked like a momentum-swinging sweep of No. 5 Robert Morris, which ended a five-game losing streak.

“Obviously it wasn’t the outcome we were looking for, especially after how well we played last weekend,” Rey said. “Lindenwood is always a top team for a reason and they capitalized on their opportunities.”

All of this comes in the midst of one of the most important times of the year in the American Collegiate Hockey Association. The Central States Collegiate Hockey League Tournament is two weeks away while Nationals take place in just over a month.

“We are going to be ready as a team [going into] nationals,” Helanto said.

If the wins and losses weren’t twists enough, the team has to find a way to play the better of two capable goalies.

It happened last season as well, when Derek Moser wasn’t the guy, the Cyclones started Matt Goedeke. That was the case going into the ACHA National Tournament in which the team made it all the way to the championship.

“It feels good to get that start, but it didn’t end the way I wanted it to,” Goedeke said. “Getting the win would’ve been huge, but I’ll just have to keep working hard and try and make the most out of my opportunities.”

Instead, the team returns to Ames with two losses right before the postseason.

“The games were like playoff hockey,” Rey said. “That’s how our games will be the rest of the season. Both teams were physical and strategic.”

Goedeke says that turning the ship around will have to start with practice.

“We will just have to continue working hard in practice and getting better as a team,” Goedeke said. “We can’t get frustrated with some of these outcomes. [We need to] keep moving forward because the season doesn’t get any easier.”