Losing in sports is inevitable for most teams.

Cyclone Hockey, however, had not suffered defeat through the first month of the season heading into last weekend’s matchup with Ohio, the team Cyclone Hockey coach Jason Fairman considered the best in the country.

The Cyclones took their first loss of the season last Friday to the Bobcats, 5-4. The team came out Saturday with an inspired effort and took the current No. 1 team in the country to its absolute limits before losing in a 1-0 shootout.

Despite ending the weekend without a win, Cyclone Hockey gained a lot of confidence pushing the top-ranked team in the country as far as it would go.

“I hope they’re not overconfident,” Fairman said. “There is a level of satisfaction playing Ohio, who is now No. 1, and feeling like we outplayed them on Saturday.”

The Cyclones fell to 6-1-1 on the season after the weekend’s two games, and Illinois State will be the first chance for Cyclone Hockey to get back in the win column.

Fairman let his assistants run practice Monday in order to change things up, but he said practice improved as the week went on in preparation for the Redbirds.

“Practice has been alright,” said senior forward Jake Bruhn. “I think guys have been tired just because last week was pretty exerting, but our legs are coming back, so we’ll be ready to go this weekend.”

Illinois State is not ranked in the American Collegiate Hockey Association top-25 poll, but it did receive votes to be ranked.

“My concern is that they’re going to be playing a team not ranked in the top 25, and they know they should beat,” Fairman said. “If we don’t have the effort, then they might surprise us.”

Illinois State comes to the ISU/Ames Ice Arena sporting a 5-6-1 record through 12 games against the 6-1-1 record of the Cyclones, who remain at No. 5 in this week’s coaches poll.

“I think we’ll be ready to go because we’re kind of upset about the rankings. We feel like we should be a little higher than that,” said freshman forward Colton Kramer.

The main concern for Fairman last Friday was getting enough effort from his players, but, due to the improved depth on this year’s team, Fairman can try to control his player’s effort to a certain degree with the amount of playing time they receive from game to game.

Kramer said he looks for the tone of the game to be set early.

“I think it depends on the first couple shifts,” Kramar said. “Those guys need to go out there and set the pace, and everybody else will follow.”

The Cyclones just finished the most grueling back-to-back series of the year against defending national champion and preseason No. 1 Central Oklahoma, followed by current No. 1 Ohio.

“I feel like we’re going to get better as the season goes on,” Fairman said. “We’ve always gotten stronger as the season goes on since I’ve been here. We’re pretty decent now, so I feel pretty good for our prospects for the end of the year.”