More than 12 hours after they set out on their journey for cold Canada, the Penn State ice hockey team gathered together in a sea of blue in the left wing corner of the Niagara Knights' home rink.

For the Knights, there is no place like home. You just don't beat them at home. At least, no Penn State team had ever done it.

Until this year.

After a long bus ride North Feb. 24, the Icers stunned host Niagara, handing them their first home defeat of the season, 5-4, on John O'Connor's overtime goal.

Oh, what a feeling. As the Icers poured onto the ice to celebrate their biggest win of the season, one could even catch Coach Joe Battista, street clothes and all, scampering across the ice to get in on the fun.

"It felt great," he said. "It was such an emotional game."

The Icers, (16-13-1, 10-7-1), likely will face Niagara in the first round of the ICHL playoffs at the Ice Pavilion Saturday.

Penn State dug itself an early hole in the first period, coming out flat and falling behind 4-2 by the intermission. After Andy McLaughlin and Jim Reed scored less than two minutes apart to erase a 2-0 Knight advantage, Niagara answered with two goals of its own on tallies by Rod Estabrook and Mike Mooradian.

Battista said the Icers lacked intensity in the first period and he "blew up" at them during the intermission.

"The problem was that we weren't physical with them," Reed said.

Though neither team found the net in the second stanza, Battista felt that was the turning point.

"We stood up to them that period," he said. "We started outhitting them."

Penn State carried its momentum into the third period, outgunning Niagara 18-7, and tying the game on tallies by Lance Riddile and Josh Brandwene.

"They (Niagara) ran out of gas," Battista said, adding that he thought Penn State was better conditioned than its rival.

With the score knotted at four late in the period, the Icers' O'Connor had a chance to win the game in regulation as he broke in alone on goal and snapped a shot that beat Niagara goalie Brian Collins.

But it did not beat the right post.

Four minutes into sudden death, a hustling John Ioia raced deep into the Niagara end to retrieve a loose puck. He passed out to Brandwene at the point who one-timed a bullet on net. Collins made the save and tried to cover the puck, but Ioia dug it free. O'Connor swept the loose puck past Collins and the post for the win.

Niagara got its revenge the following evening, posting a come-from-behind 8-5 victory over the Icers in the ICHL regular-season finale.