Iowa State heads west in search of breaking five-game losing streak

Iowa State heads west in search of breaking five-game losing streak Iowa State heads west in search of breaking five-game losing streak Aleigha Bailey, Senior Reporter October 14, 2026 Anna Graf ISU Men’s Club Hockey players celebrate their second win of the weekend against Northern Illinois University, Ames Ice Arena, Ames, Iowa, Oct. 18, 2025. Iowa State’s Division I men’s hockey club will continue its road game streak with a trip to Fort Collins, Colorado this weekend. The Cyclones will take on the Colorado State Rams Friday and Saturday. Friday’s puck drop is set for 6:30 p.m. CT, while Saturday’s is set for 3:15 p.m. CT, both at the EPIC Ice Arena. Both games will be streamed live on the Rams YouTube channel. “We need to work on our play,” head coach Jonas Hostovecky said. “We are skilled, we can play, but it’s obvious that size-wise, we are smaller than everyone else.”  With Iowa State on a five-game losing streak, the team looks to find its first victory against a Rams team that has only played two games this season. The Cyclones (2-4-0-1) have playing time on their side, but not the record.  The Rams (2-0-0-0) have the inverse, as they are undefeated in their season-opening series. Behind Colorado State’s series sweep was a relentless offense against Division II Wyoming. Despite the differences, both teams meet in the middle with five (Iowa State) and four points (Colorado State) on the season. Leading the Rams’ offense is defenseman Josh Rudow, who had two goals and an assist in the series. Forward Connor Pietrangelo leads the team in total points with four, consisting of one goal and three assists. Colorado State’s defense complemented its offensive drive as the team allowed three goals in its series against the Cowboys. In between the pipes were Ethan Blackburn and Evan Stringer. Blackburn faced 28 shots and saved 27 for a .964 save percentage. Stringer followed close behind, as he saved 27 of 30 shots for a .933 save percentage. On the power play and penalty kill, the Rams have found their groove. Of Colorado State’s game one goals, four of them were on the power play. They went four for five on the advantage. On the penalty kill, the Rams got chippy, but remained composed as a defense. Although the squad tallied 39 penalty minutes in the series, no power play goals were allowed. Iowa State’s demeaning five-game losing skid looks to aid the team as they begin to learn from their mistakes. The Cyclones’ Game 2 against Illinois was their lowest goal differential loss in the past five games. Iowa State’s offense has found its groove, as of the team’s 24 skaters, 17 have a point on the season. Against Illinois, rookie forward Connor Gronewald tallied his first goal and second point as a Cyclone, while defenseman Timothy Hanulik assisted the goal for his seventh point of the season. Hanulik remains Iowa State’s points leader, but forward Charlie Marchand is one point behind as he tallied a goal against the Illini. The duo holds the seventh and eighth spots among all MCH conference forwards. Defensively, as mentioned, the 3-2 loss in Game 2 was the team’s closest loss of the season. Behind the defensive improvement was the reintroduction of goalie Lennart Critzmann. Iowa State’s home opener against Omaha saw Critzmann allow three goals in one period before getting pulled. After a stint with the club’s Division III team, Critzmann suited up for the Cyclones in Game 2 against Illinois. Of 39 shots faced, Critzmann shut down 36 of them, which was good enough for a 92% save percentage. Iowa State’s potential chance at victory comes down to tightening up its special teams. The Cyclones went 0-9 on the power play and allowed the Illini to score two short-handed goals. With 67 penalty minutes on the season, Iowa State’s defense has allowed five power-play goals. The reunion of the Cyclones and Rams looks to heat up quickly as last year’s series was split.  Highlights from Iowa State’s 2025-2026 regular season finale saw both games being decided by one goal. The series was led by four upperclassmen Cyclones and a Pietrangelo goal.  0 Like This Story Share on Facebook Share on X Email this Story Print this Story Tags: Connor Gronewald Jonas Hostovecky Lennart Critzmann Timothy Hanulik Donate to Iowa State Daily $6,633 $10,000 Contributed Our Goal Your donation will support the student journalists of the Iowa State Daily. 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Aleigha is a Senior Sports Reporter and has held both Sports Reporter and Sports Editor positions throughout her three years with the Iowa State Daily.