For two straight games, the ice hockey team rifled shot after shot at Buffalo State goalie Tim Nowak. But there was one difference between the two encounters: the second time around, it just didn't matter.

After stopping 31 shots in a 5-4 Penn State triumph Friday night, Nowak frustrated the Icers (12-11-1 overall, 8-5-1 in the ICHL) Saturday as he turned in a remarkable 45-save performance, leading the Bengals to a weekend split with a 4-2 victory.

Hard hitting and goaltending typified both games as emotions ran high and goals were hard to come by.

Though marred with fights, ejections, and even a suspension thrown in for good measure, Saturday's game was every bit as competitive as the previous contest.

Buffalo State did most of its damage within the first 12 minutes of the game. The Bengals, lead by Scott McInerney's pair of first period tallies, exploded for three early goals, all of which came on rebounds in front of the Penn State net.

"We were covering our zones, but we weren't picking up their men," Brian Stevenson explained.

Stevenson scored a power-play goal eight minutes into the second period to make it a one-goal game, but he, like several other players, spent much of the rest of the game in the penalty box.

With four minutes remaining in the second period, Stevenson and goalie Nowak collided going for a loose puck at the Buffalo State blue line. Stevenson was whistled for a penalty. But tempers flared and, after several penalties and incidences, the officials called for an early intermission.

Buffalo State's Bill Nashwinter, last year's International Collegiate Hockey League Most Valuable Player, was assessed a game misconduct penalty and will serve a one-game suspension for charging the Icer bench and swinging his stick.

When play finally resumed over 30 minutes later, McInerney netted his third goal of the game for a 4-2 Buffalo State lead.

From that point on, it became the Tim Nowak show. He turned back everything thrown his way in the third period, including a tremendous display in stifling a Penn State two-man advantage for 1:11.

Icers Coach Joe Battista kept the loss in perspective. "I'm very pleased that we took two out of three from them (this year). We have the potential to win the ICHL this year. This team believes it can win right now, but we're really going to have to go down to the wire ready to play."

Though they outskated their opponents, the Icers found themselves trailing 3-1 late in the second period Friday. But just under five minutes before intermission, Jim Reed threw a shot on the Buffalo State net, and Josh Brandwene swept the loose puck past Nowak in a frenzy around the crease to make it a one-goal game, 3-2.

"Josh's goal was a big one," Battista said. "That really got us back into the game."

Did it ever.

The rejuvenated Icers came out firing in the third period, staging a three-goal rally with two scores in the first five minutes. Brandwene snatched up a rebound at his own end and broke down ice with Lance Riddile on a two-on-one break. Just before the blue line, he slipped a nifty little pass to Riddile who broke in behind the defense and snapped a shot on goal. Nowak made the initial save, but the momentum of the play carried both him and the puck just across the goal line.

Barely two minutes later, Stevenson put the Icers ahead to stay with a superb individual effort. Stevenson skated around his man, fought off two other Buffalo State defenders, circled behind the net, and stuffed a wrap-around backhand on net. Nowak made the save, but Stevenson alertly slammed in his own rebound.

"Brian's goal was just a work-horse goal," Battista said. "That was the epitome of second effort."

The Icers got all the insurance they would need at the 17:44 mark of the third period when Reed converted a pretty cross-ice pass from Andy McLaughlin for a 5-3 lead.

"He (Nowak) comes up with the big saves when he needs them," Reed explained. "But we just had too many chances tonight. Those guys pretty much put the whole game on his shoulders and you just can't ask a goalie to stop that many shots."

"This was the exact same situation we had last week with these guys. We knew what we had to do to win," Reed added.

The Bengals were able to manage a late power-play goal, and an icing call with seven seconds remaining gave them one last shot with an offensive-zone face-off. Buffalo State controlled the draw but Ken Fatur was able to go down to block a shot. Finally, after a few nail-biting moments, the Bengals' last-second attempt to tie the contest fell short when Midge Hutchison checked a Buffalo State forward helplessly away from a centering pass in the crease.

"If Midge doesn't hit this guy, the games tied," Battista exclaimed. "We'd be in overtime."

Buffalo State coach Steve Ferrentino expressed his disappointment at his team's play. "We didn't take the body and we never shot. You just can't win a college game with only 22 shots on goal."