From Iowa State Daily
By Aleigha Bailey
AMES — Ahead of the D-I Iowa State men’s club hockey season opener, the team took on the University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO) Mavericks in a two-game preseason series.
The club’s rookies’ offensive drive, expansive goaltending and third-period surges look to play a large role in the fate of the team’s season and gave the team the series sweep.
The Cyclones will host Central Oklahoma on Sept. 17 and 18 to kick off the regular season.
Well-rounded rookies
The biggest change heading into the 2026-27 season is the addition of players. This season, Iowa State has added 13 new skaters to its team along with three new goalies.
As these new members have gotten into the groove in Ames, one thing is certain: the rookies can score.
In the first game of the series, Iowa State took a 5-4 victory over UNO that was largely backed by the rookies.
Four of the five goals came from the team’s newest members. Leading the points sheet after the first game is Reese Hubmer.
“Coming into this program as the first recruiting class is big,” Hubmer said. “We’re hoping to make a big step for him [head coach Jonas Hostovecky] and hopefully turn this program around.”
Within 23 seconds, Hubmer lit the lamp twice, one of which was a power-play goal.
Two other rookies to watch out for are Wyatt Kostichka and Charlie Marchand, who both tallied their first points as Cyclones on Friday.
Marchand’s offensive drive continued into game two as he kicked off the first period with two goals.
“It feels good to come in here and make an impact right away,” Marchand said.
Grounded Goaltending
With the roster growth came three new goalies to join two returning goalies who all look to battle it out for the starting job.
Across the series, junior Noah Behrens-Gould, rookies Lennart Crittzman and Ty Tanton earned their time in the crease.
Behrens-Gould started game one while Crittzman started game two. In the first game, Behrens-Gould came out on top, saving 32 of 36 shots on goal.
Game two saw Crittzman grow into his role over his 40 minutes in the crease.
The series-closing game saw Crittzman give up two goals 28 seconds apart. Crittzman gave up one more goal in the first period before going 9-for-9 in the second period.
Ultimately, Crittzman was replaced by Tanton in the third period. The switch landed Tanton his first shutout and Iowa State the series sweep.
“It’s hard to come in cold,” Tanton said. “You just gotta stay focused and really fight through it.”
Third-period Triumphs
As the third period began, the Cyclones found themselves trailing in both games. A similar fate arose in both games, landing Iowa State the preseason sweep.
A third-period surge reinstated the Cyclones’ dominance and confidence.
“After those first two goals, they had fire in their eyes,” Hostovecky said. “They kind of found it on their own.”
Two third-period goals in both nights completed the team’s Cinderella series.
Game one saw forwards Wyatt Kostichka and Harrison Ranger score five minutes apart for the away victory.
Game two saw a familiar name on the score sheet yet again. Hubmer scored the game-tying goal with 6:28 left in the final period for his third goal of the series.
Iowa State’s game two hero was forward Easton Sankey, who got the go-ahead goal with 4:28 left in the game.
The rookies solidified their roles while introducing Cyclone fans to their newest tradition: hearing “Shout” by the Isley Brothers as the team’s newest goal song.
“Everyone in there works so hard, and it wasn’t just me,” Sankey said. “I was just happy to get in the last one.”
(Originally published at https://iowastatedaily.com/342472/sports/highlights-rhythmic-rookies-secure-cyclones-series-sweep-over-mavericks/)
