In the ice hockey club's 25 previous games, its green line had only five goals. In Saturday's game against the University of Buffalo, however, Marc Gresko, Dave Esposito and Jeff Hale were the offensive stars.

The three combined for three goals and two assists to lift the Icers to a 8-4 win against the Thundering Herd. Hale doubled his goal production for the season. He now has four.

"My linemates were working really hard," Hale said. "The whole line was clicking together."

"Marc Gresko, Dave Esposito and Jeff Hale just played super," Coach Joe Battista said.

Hale described the green line as "blue-collar hockey" because its job is to shut the other team down.

"Our offense is coming out of our defense -- that's primarily what we're out there for," he said.

Hale scored his third goal of the season on the hockey equivalent of an alley-oop. Teammate Mike Messner's shot was in the air, Hale chopped at it and deflected it into the net.

"Whenever he scores, that fires up the whole team -- there's an extra added celebration on the bench," Battista said.

Hale's second goal of the game came in the second period when he put the rebound of Esposito's shot in the lower right corner of the net, past goaltender John Wolski.

"The goals are just a bonus," Hale said. "I've been happy with my play the last couple of weeks -- I'm just doing my job. Today we just took it to 'em.

We've got to go right at 'em especially down the stretch -- all these games are important."

Despite the scoring production from the line, Battista said it is not definite that those players will get increased playing time.

"It depends on how they play in practice," he said.

"Bob Kokal, Dave Esposito, Marc Gresko and Jeff Hale -- they know their role," he continued.

Battista said he would juggle players in and out of the lineup in order to find the chemistry that would give the Icers four good lines for the playoffs.