SFU prepares to wrap Fall semester vs. Iowa State

Iowa State University is best-known for its Big-10 football program and an engineering faculty that has graduated countless astronauts and Nobel Prize winners.

But in a state where hockey is somewhere down the list for up-and-coming athletes, the ISU Cyclones have thrived under the leadership of long-time head coach, Dr. Alan Murdoch, now in his 42nd year with the program. There isn’t much that Murdoch hasn’t seen in over four decades behind the bench, but he’s in for a career first when Iowa State visits Vancouver to take on the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University on Nov. 26 and 27, respectively.

The Cyclones are coming off a 2009/10 campaign that saw them reach the National Championship game in the American College Hockey Association’s top division before dropping a 2-0 decision to Lindenwood University from St. Louis. And Murdoch has been able to rely on a strong returning core this season with a roster that includes former Burnaby Express goaltender Erik Hudson, Surrey Eagles grad Brody Toigo and Trail Smoke Eaters standout Brandon Clark.

They figure to pose a stiff challenge for a Simon Fraser University team that will be playing their final game of 2010 before an exam and holiday break that spans December.

“When the opportunity to host Iowa State was first floated in the summer, we jumped at it,” says SFU general manager Jeff Dubois. “It’s fitting that we’d welcome a well-known U.S. school to Burnaby during SFU’s first semester competing against NCAA competition, and we’d like to make this the first of many similar trips.”

“It’s also our first chance to see how a common opponent matches up against ourselves and UBC. A lot of people will be interested in comparing those two scores and drawing some conclusions about how far we’ve come and how close we may be to an SFU-UBC game taking shape.”

The exhibition event will give Dubois and head coach Mark Coletta an opportunity to preview how their line-up should fare in 2011 following a handful of additions for the spring semester. Former Salmon Arm SilverBacks forward Christopher Hoe will be making his SFU debut, while defencemen Voldy Dashko (Humboldt Broncos/SJHL) and Dan Mercer (Calgary Hitmen/WHL) also figure to see action.

“We’ve known from day one that a few bodies would be arriving mid-season, and this game will give us a chance to see where those guys are with their game fitness and gauge the chemistry they’ve built with their teammates in practice,” says Coletta.