It starts one week from today.

Feb. 26 is a historic day for the ice hockey team. No. 4 Penn State will play host to the American Collegiate Hockey Association National Championship for the first time in its history.

Collegiate hockey buffs will turn their eyes to University Park to watch the cream of the crop compete for the title. Michigan-Dearborn, North Dakota State, Iowa State, Ohio University, Eastern Michigan, University of Arizona and Navy will join Penn State in staking a claim for the national title.

What spectators will see is first rate hockey spanning four nights. What organizers and administrators will see is the fruit of their labor -- the culmination of a year's efforts to pull off a tournament of this caliber.

Penn State was awarded the site at last year's tournament in Arizona. The fact that Penn State is a virgin locale was important, but many other criteria are used in deciding the proper site.

"I think we have a very nice facility here," said Vance McCullough, Director of Club Sports. "We have a reputation for doing things in a classy manner. We are known to draw good crowds and it's the right time. We have a good team and we are going to be competitive."

"The fact that we have had successful runs with the Nittany Lion Invitational was a key," Coach Joe Battista said. "They know we have the support mechanisms to make it a first class operation."

Iowa State will host the tournament next year. Arizona will host it again in 1994. The sites are selected by the ACHA ranking committee after schools put in a bid to host the tournament.

In addition to the tangible elements faced by organizers, the Icer players are going to be faced with their own fair share of tangibles.

At home, the players will be faced with a lot more distractions. Fans with high expectations, parents, friends and classes will all weigh on the minds of the men on the ice.

"When we are on the road, distractions are minimized. They belong to me," Battista said. "There are a lot of demands on them at home. They must stay focused. These are the kinds of things that worry me. People think that since we are hosting the tournament we should win it."

Fans at Icer home games are used to Penn State victories and opponent domination. The Icers have outscored opponents at home 144-29. However, home losses to Ohio University and Eastern Michigan in the Nittany Lion Invitational gave fans only a small taste of the high-caliber competition that will be present at nationals.

"We are all psyched up for it being at home," junior forward Ross Cowan said. "The fans are going to expect a win every night. They haven't seen us lose that much at home."

"There is a lot more pressure," senior defenseman and team captain Geoff Martha said. "Coach (Battista) knows about these things. He knows how to handle them. Just like we got to step it up a notch, so does Coach. I think the younger guys will be surprised."

The added pressure is hoped to be outweighed by the potential benefits. Despite all the external factors, it is still the Icers' home rink, home ice and home fans.

Tournment administrators are banking that 'if they host it, they will come.' Meaning, they are hoping for a full house Saturday night, even if Penn State fails to make it to the consolation or championship games.

"I firmly hope the championship game will sell out regardless of who's in it," Battista said. "Hockey fans in this area will want to see that game."

Tournament success will not rely on a spectacular Penn State performance, nor will it be rely on any profits made by the tournament.

"It's not intended to be a money-making venture," McCullough said. "I'm sure that when you look at everything considered, we will be running in somewhat of a deficit, but it's our turn to take that deficit. We're going to be able to expose our fans to the hockey that we were playing on the road the past couple years."

The eight teams are divided into two pools, four teams in each pool. There will be round-robin play within the pool. Pool play is on Feb. 26-28 at 10 a.m., 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The Icers play at 7:30 each night, They face Ohio University Wednesday, Navy Thursday and Michigan-Dearborn Friday. Saturday's consolation game begins at 4 p.m. The championship game commences at 8 p.m.

Tournament passes for students (good for all games) may be purchased for $20. Adults will have to cough up $30. Single-day tickets are available for $4 (students) and $6 (adults). Each Saturday game will cost $4 for students and $6 for adults.

"When we look back at it, regardless of where we finish, we can look back and say 'we did it,"' Battista said. "That will be a real feather in our cap."

"It's going to bode well for the future of Penn State hockey," Martha said.