The ice hockey team calls itself a big family. And when it counted most, the Icers stuck together like one to bring the ICHL Championship to Penn State for the first time ever.

And they did it in dramatic fashion.

After coming from two-goals behind Saturday night to eliminate tournament favorite Niagara, 5-3, the Icers twice erased two-goal deficits in the third period yesterday to wrestle the championship from Buffalo, 8-6.

Penn State wasted little time establishing an advantage in its championship game debut, taking a 2-0 lead into the first intermission on goals by Josh Brandwene and Brian Stevenson.

Early in the second period, the Icers suffered a major setback when Ken Fatur injured his shoulder and was unable to play the rest of the game. Buffalo rallied for four unanswered goals in the middle stanza, ripping through a disoriented Penn State squad.

"We just got passive," Brandwene said. "They took it to us."

Trailing 4-2 with just one period to play, the Icers needed a lift. Stevenson and Fatur, both in their final collegiate game, took control in the locker room.

"If we lose this game, I go out a loser," Stevenson said after an emotional speech by Fatur. "And I'm not going to go out a loser."

The Icers came out rejuvenated and, four minutes into the final period, Brandwene scored his second goal, converting a fine set-up from Mike Cardonick to pull the Icers to within one.

Less than a minute later, Jim Reed snapped a wrist shot from the right circle that beat Buffalo goalie Bob Buczkowsli to knot the game at four.

But Buffalo was not ready to quit.

After the Thundering Herd regained the lead on a goal by Chuck Banas, coincedental penalties created a rare two minutes of three-on-three hockey. Peter Dienes scored for the Herd just thirty seconds later, leading Coach Joe Battista to pull Zinczenko in favor of Chris Puscian.

Thirty seconds after the change, Puscian assisted on a Cardonick goal to make the score 6-5.

Seconds later, the Icers again took advantage of the three-on-three situation as Andy McLaughlin intercepted a Buffalo pass in the neutral zone and skated in alone on goal. His initial shot was stifled by Buczkowsli, but McLaughlin gobbled up his own rebound and swept the puck into the net.

"The game was won on the three-on three," Buffalo coach Richard Brooks said.

With 2:50 to go in the game, Lance Riddile and John Ioia hustled into the Buffalo zone on a two-on-one break. With a defenseman closing in, Riddile rifled a low shot from the right circle. Buczkowsli made the save but Ioia pounded home the rebound.

Stevenson added an empty-net goal with 1:30 remaining.

The win was Penn State's first over Buffalo this season after three frustrating one-goal losses.

"The Penn State team we played earlier in the season would have given up when they were down by two goals," Brooks said.

After the game, a youngster approached Riddile and asked him how many goals he scored.

"It doesn't matter," Riddile said smiling. "We won."

"We came out on top," Stevenson said sporting his playoff MVP trophy. "That's all that counts."