If the ice hockey team's weekend series against Navy had been a prize-fight, certainly it would have been stopped. Mercifully.

After creaming the Midshipmen 12-1 Saturday at the Ice Pavilion, Penn State did much of the same Sunday afternoon, pounding its foe into submission, 5-1, in a game that wasn't even that close.

Sunday marked the debut of new Icer goalie Ty Ruffolo, who was nearly perfect in tending the Penn State net. Only a Tim Fetsch second-period goal, on a rebound, prevented a shutout. After Ruffalo came up with a big save on a shot from the right point, Fetsch somehow put the puck under the fallen goalie's arm.

The Icers took command just 3:35 into the game as Jim Reed, standing unchecked in the crease, slammed in the rebound of Josh Brandwene's blast from the left point.

Five minutes later, Brian Stevenson took an up-ice pass from Reed and snapped a crisp wrist shot over the left shoulder of Navy goalie Tony Newpower for a 2-0 Icer advantage.

Shortly after Fetsch's score had pulled the Midshipmen to within a goal, Penn State's Andy McLaughlin took a pinpoint pass from Reed, stationed behind the net, and beat Newpower point blank for a 3-1 lead.

Less than two minutes later, Stevenson iced the game with his second tally of the afternoon. Center Joe Benincasa added a third period goal for a 5-1 final.

"We did our best and that's all you can do," said Navy coach Jim Barry. "We were just outgunned by a very good team."

Were they ever.

In all, the Icers pummelled the Navy net with a 53-shot barrage. In its last four games, Penn State has outshot its opponents by an incredible 177-86. That's quite a turnaround for a team that struggled through much of the first half of the season.

Coach Joe Battista believes the Icers' improved play can be attributed to the overcoming of an overall selfish attitude.

"They're playing more like a team now. That's the difference," said Battista. "They believe in themselves now."

Benincasa agreed that there has been a definite change in the Icers as a unit. "The whole team is playing with a lot more confidence. We know we can win now. We're building up for the playoffs."

However, Battista added an important concern. "We're still having some trouble getting the puck out of our own zone."

Although the Icers won impressively on Sunday, they were even hotter Saturday as eight different players found the twine in a 12-goal explosion.

McLaughlin got the ball rolling four minutes into the game as he broke in on goal unmolested and beat Newpower high with a wrist-shot.

Three minutes later, Ken Fatur took a fine feed from Midge Hutchison, made an inside move splitting two defenders and beat a helpless Newpower with a backhand low and to the stick side.

And the onslaught was on.

Before the first period expired, Ron Christy, Hutchison and Fatur added three more tallies for a 5-0 lead. Talk about rude hosts.

With Penn State leading 5-1 in the second period, Fatur scored yet another goal, this one on the power-play, to complete his hat-trick.

But the Icers weren't finished.

All they did in the third period was add, count 'em, six more goals for the 12-1 final.

Ouch.

Goalie Mark O'Brien, in his first start for the Icers, turned back 17 shots in recording his first win.

"It feels good to get one under the belt. Everybody rose to the occasion tonight. The defense really played well in front of me."

"All our games are important now," said Fatur. "We're preparing for the ICHL championships. That's our big goal this year." He added that the key to winning championships is playing good defense.

And right now, they are doing just that.