When looking forward to this weekend's pair of away games against Niagara, the ice hockey team will face some good news and some bad news. Mostly bad.

The bad news is the Icers lost to Niagara 6-3 at the Ice Pavilion last weekend. The worse news is that no Icer team has ever won on the Knights' home ice. And the worst news is that the Knights will come out on top if the game gets physical and suspensions are issued.

Since this weekend is the end of the Icers' regular season, the players would have to serve their suspensions during the first round of the playoffs. But if the Niagara players receive suspensions, they could serve them during their remaining regular season games.

Icers Coach Joe Battista said that he expects Niagara to take advantage of that fact and force a physical game in their smaller rink.

"That rink is custom made for their style of play," Battista said, adding that the Icers' speed advantage may be cancelled out by the smaller ice surface.

The good news for the Icers is in their attitude. Forward Mike Cardonick said he not only believes that the Icers can win this weekend, but that he hopes to face Niagara in the first round of the playoffs, set to begin the week after spring break.

"I think we would do best against Niagara (in the playoffs) because we want them so bad," the junior said.

Cardonick said that his personal goal against Niagara is to improve on last weekend's game by capitalizing on every opportunity. He will get plenty of chances as the new point-man on the Icers first power-play unit. Battista said he put Cardonick on the point last weekend and will use Josh Brandwene on the crease this weekend in an attempt to bring life to the Icers' ailing power-play.

"We've been working on one thing all week: shoot the puck on the power-play," Assistant Coach Ray Lombra said.

Battista said that goaltending may decide the outcome of this weekend's games. Goalie Eric Zinczenko held the Knights to four goals last weekend until he was taken out give the Icers an extra skating player. The Knights then scored two empty-net goals to make the final score 6-3. Zinczenko said that although he hopes he gets to play, all four of Penn State's goalies are ready.

The Icers were scheduled to participate in the National Club Team Championship over spring break, but Battista decided to skip the exhausting four-game, four-day tournament to focus on the International Collegiate Hockey League playoffs.

It is possible that Cardonick will get his wish of playing the Knights in the first round if the third-place Icers fall to fourth place this weekend. Battista summed up his attitude on the Icers' opponent in the first round of the ICHL playoffs by saying, "We're going to have to beat them sooner or later."