No. 10 Cyclone Hockey has big games coming up against top-10 opponents Robert Morris and Lindenwood, but they will have to face them without brothers Tony or Jake Uglem.

The Uglem brothers departed for Kazakhstan on Tuesday, en route to represent United States in this year’s World University Games.

“It’s going to be a great experience for them,” Cyclone Hockey coach Jason Fairman said. “They are well deserving for this great opportunity.”

The games pit 12 countries against each other in a different country every other year, this year’s being in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The best players are selected from across the American Collegiate Hockey Association to compete in the ice hockey portion, as the Uglem’s were selected for the USA.

“Being a part of something like that is a huge honor,” Tony said. “Being able to travel to play hockey is something to really enjoy.”

Players across the nation were scouted by a group of coaches. One of which is Team USA’s general manager and former Cyclone Hockey coach Al Murdoch, who made his way to Ames to see multiple games.

Tony and Jake were the only two players selected to represent Cyclone Hockey.

“The Uglem’s are good, old-time hockey guys,” Murdoch said. “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”

Murdoch said Team USA’s head coach, Sean Hogan, wants guys who can step up and play his style of hockey: that’s playing physical hockey and being able to put the puck in the net.

The Uglem brothers will be the second pair of brothers to play in the games. Joe and John Olen from Illinois were the first to do so, playing together in the 2015 games.

“It feels good,” Jake said. “I have been playing hockey with Tony for a while now. It’s fun to get to experience something like this with him.”

The brothers are familiar with some of the names on the Team USA roster, as there were eight players other than themselves from the Central States Collegiate Hockey League selected.

“Getting to know [the other players] is a lot of fun,” Tony said.

The team will open its tournament slate Monday, taking on Canada at 12:30 a.m local time. All of the games can be live streamed through FISU.tv (http://www.livefisu.tv/schedule?ICID_HOM_TOP_2)

Team USA has never medaled in the games before, with their top finish being a fourth place outing in 2003, but Murdoch thinks this year might be different.

“I would say we’re kind of middle of the pack,” Murdoch said. “There will be four or five countries that will come in rated slightly better than us, but I think we can beat any of them.”