The Oct. 9 and 10 home series against Ohio was the most anticipated of Cyclone Hockey’s season thus far. 

The Cyclones lost 5-4 that Friday night and 1-0 in a shootout Saturday. But head coach Jason Fairman has continuously called that Saturday performance one of the best, if not the best, of the season for his team.

“I thought tonight was the best game we’ve played all year,” said goaltender Matt Goedeke after that Saturday loss. “When we go play at Ohio in December, I think they’re in for a rude awakening because we have young team, so we are only going to get better.”

The anticipated series rematch has arrived for Cyclone Hockey, but the team isn’t hyping the road trip up as much. Instead, it appears the team is trying to fly under the radar.

“We’ve been preparing all week, and if we go in with the right mindset, we’ll be fine,” said defenseman Jake Arroyo.

The team had all of last week off to rest and get ahead on school work. Many of the players went back to their hometowns all over the country for Thanksgiving break. Even after the break, Arroyo doesn’t think the time off will have any negative effects on the team’s play.

Fairman thinks the team has come back refreshed.

“I think guys seem to be rejuvenated,” Fairman said. “I’ve seen a little more jump. A few days aren’t going to hurt them. They just needed to recharge the jets, which it seems they’ve done.”

This will be the third time Fairman has made the trip to play at Ohio’s Bird Ice Arena. The arena features a slightly smaller ice sheet than the Ames/ISU Ice Arena does, but Fairman feels he has experienced it enough to know how to prepare.

“I’ve gotten a little more familiar with it, but you’ve still got to outwork a team,” he said.

Since the last matchup, No. 7 Cyclone Hockey has gone 10-1-3, and No. 10 Ohio has gone 8-3-1. Despite not coming away with a win in the first series, the team played well and will try to repeat a solid performance this weekend.

“We brought effort on Saturday compared to Friday,” Fairman said. “It’s going to require the same type of effort if we are going to get a sweep this weekend, and that’s what I have challenged them to do.”