Cyclone Hockey forward Colton Kramer answered questions outside the locker room Saturday night in front of the largest group of reporters he had dealt with all season.

His game-winning goal to hand the No. 1 team in the American Collegiate Hockey Association, Minot State, its first regulation loss of the season certainly warranted the crowd.

The only thing that was surprising about the audience for Kramer’s post-game interview was that nearly all of the people holding their phones up to record his comments were his teammates.

Just 24 hours before, there were no Cyclone Hockey players doubling as reporters. The team was feeling the pressure after starting the new year with a 7-3 defeat to Minot State.

The difference between the two games was made at some point between when the team left the arena around 10 p.m. Friday night and when the puck dropped again at 7:30 p.m. the next day.

Cyclone Hockey coach Jason Fairman held a long film session before the Cyclones’ Saturday night victory, which might have made the difference.

“It was different from what we’ve done,” Fairman said. “I don’t know if that helped or not, but I think it refocused us.”

The film session might have done the trick, or it might have been the simple speech Fairman gave to his team to eliminate the pressure.

“I told the guys we had nothing to lose [Saturday],” Fairman told his team before Saturday’s game. “We weren’t where we should be as a team because we weren’t taking care of the small details. That was something we were going to have to work through if they couldn’t do it tonight.

“I told them, ‘You have nothing to lose tonight. If we have to figure it out next week or the week after that we will. We will figure it out before nationals.’”

The pressure that was lifted off of the players’ shoulders led to an increased attention to details, contributing to a victory that put smiles and laughter in the locker room.

Kramer said the difference came down to effort, and Aaron Azevedo said the puck just started bouncing the team’s way. No matter the conflicting reasons as to why, the result was still the first victory against a No. 1 ranked team in Fairman’s or any of the players’ Cyclone Hockey career.

“It’s a big statement to everyone,” said Azevedo, who had three Saturday assists and a goal. “We have a shot to do it this year.”

Azevedo was talking about a national championship, something that people in the Cyclone Hockey organization haven’t shied away from this season. After making a statement by beating a team that no one had all season, the Cyclones have started to gain momentum. 

“We’re a team to be reckoned with,” Kramer said.

The confidence stems from the top of the Cyclone Hockey organization. Back in December, before Winter Break started, Fairman sat in the igloo room at the Ames/ISU Ice Arena. His team still faced the final series of 2015 against Dakota-Bottineau, but Fairman already had an eye on the Beavers of Minot State.

“Hopefully some students will be back because that will be fun, when we knock off the undefeated No. 1 team in the nation,” Fairman said in December.

Exactly one month later, Fairman’s confident prediction came true. Now it will be seen if the same can be said for Fairman’s next statement.

“We know what we’re capable of,” Fairman said. “The energy and things of that nature that I saw on the bench, I ask, ‘Why can’t we do that the rest of the season?’

“I feel like if we do that we can be national champions.”