Ice hockey coach Joe Battista wouldn't mind if the scorekeepers put asterisks next to some of the Icers' losses.

Maybe that would explain four of its nine losses that were decided by a goal. Or maybe it would help make some sense out of the five games the team dropped late in the third period or in overtime. And it just might reveal what happened at last weekend's 10-9 loss at the University of Buffalo, where Penn State relinquished an 8-4 lead, losing on a UB goal with seven seconds remaining.

But without that luxury, the Icers will just have to put up with its 9-9-1 record when they take on Buffalo State at 7:30 tonight. The Icers travel to New York tomorrow night to face Erie Community College at 7:30 p.m., and wrap up the two-game series at 2 p.m. Sunday.

Last weekend, Penn State slammed Conestoga College, 8-3, after the disaster against UB. The comeback win showed Battista that the Icers are not going to allow the season to buckle under.

"I'm not ready to hit the panic button and I don't think any of the guys are either," the coach said. "I feel my job is to try to make them understand that they're not very far from being a great hockey team. I believe we're playing better than we did last year."

The third-place Icers back up second-place UB (7-1) in the International Collegiate Hockey League with a 5-3 mark. Buffalo State trails Penn State in the league at 3-2, losing twice to league-leading Niagara (8-1).

"We don't know much about them (Buffalo State)," Battista said. "But I know that they have a very potent offensive-minded team. They got some big guns and they got some guys that score an awful lot of goals."

The Bengals get fire power from Bill Nashwinter and Jamie Majewski, who score most of their goals off the power play. Last year against Penn State, Nashwinter paced the Bengals with a hat trick that doomed the Icers, 7-4.

"He's a small guy, but he's really quick and really strong," forward Jim Reed said. "We have to lay the body on him and we can't be mesmerized by his puck-handling ability. As soon he gets the puck, you have to play the body because you don't want to get in a foot race with him."

The Icers expect a strong effort in the defensive zone, keeping the mighty Bengal attack away from the Penn State crease. The Icers also will have to keep all six players on the ice to stymie the Buffalo State power play.

"We're going to have to play a much better defensive game and we're still going to have to score a lot of goals," Battista said. "We're also going to have to work a lot on penalty killing because their power play is awesome."

After handing Niagara its first loss, Erie proved they can beat anyone in its own rink. Last year at Erie, the Icers barely slipped by the Wildcats, 7-6, 2-1, leaving Erie with two moral victories after the game.

"I think they play with a lot more confidence at home," Battista said. "It's a small rink and they use it to their advantage. It's also very cold there, and the players feel that. To our players, our rink is like heaven compared to their's in terms of heat."

Erie also prides itself as being the junior college route for young, talented players who hope to play big-time, Division I college hockey.

"I think it's going to be a tough weekend, but I'm ready and I think the guys are ready," Battista said. "It seems that every time we lose a tough one, the guys are chomping at the bit to get back on the ice to prove that they can do it."