It has been a long path for the ice hockey team's quest to retake the national crown it lost last year. The final stretch in its pursuit, though, will be a short one.

A year's preparation and the relative success of the ice hockey team (22-5-1) will both come to a head today as the American Collegiate Hockey Association National Championship tournament gets underway at the Ice Pavilion.

There will be two divisions of round-robin play. The winners of each division will play Saturday evening for the national championship.

While the 7:30 p.m. Icer matchup against Ohio University will be the main event for Penn State fans, three other games of quality hockey will be played today. The 10 a.m. game pits No. 1 Michigan-Dearborn against No. 8 Navy. At 1 p.m. No. 2 North Dakota State faces off against No. 7 Arizona. No. 3 Iowa State faces No. 6 Eastern Michigan at 4 p.m.

The Icers, seeded fourth, have the undaunting task of competing for the title at home. Only two teams in the history of the tournament have successfully accomplished such a feat. Last year's host Arizona finished second. In that tournament, the eighth seed, North Dakota State, pulled off an upset to won the tournament. But the mere chance to host such a tournament will have lasting benefits.

"We are real proud to have brought it out East," Coach Joe Battista said. "It's a real feather in our cap. I just hope now I can put on my other hat and be a coach for the next couple days."

Arizona has hosted the tournament four times. Arizona Coach Leo Golembiewski found one reason why he would rather be at home.

"I'd rather be home where it is 72 degrees and sunny," Golembiewski said. "(But) it felt good all year just to worry about the kids and not have to worry about all that."

Whether home ice will be an advantage is unknown. What is common knowledge, however, is the need for a strong, consistent defense which keeps mistakes at a minimum. Leading the defense are senior captians Geoff Martha and Mike Messner. Martha and Messner lead the team with net-plus ratings of 38 and 36, respectively. The duo are also among the top seven Icers in points.

"To win nationals, it's going to take defense," Martha said earlier this month. "When we won it in 1990, it was because of team defense. We have got to rely on the goal scorers to get the goals."

In addition to defense, throw in some lucky bounces and some breaks, and the Icers, barring any injuries, have a shot. If Penn State can dominate the opponent's zone, and pepper the crease with its normal barrage of shots, the breaks will eventually come.

A hot goaltender is also a must. Junior goalie John Gray will mind the nets tonight. Gray has seen the most action this season and has given up 47 goals in 15 appearances. Senior Andy Dumas will also see action in the tournament.

Obviously, the Icers want to open with a win, but a loss doesn't automatically put them out of the title hunt. It just puts them in a position where they will be pleading for help.