BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Sometimes in sport, the outcome depends solely on one moment in time.

Such was the case Saturday evening when the ice hockey team faced Buffalo State in the semifinals of the International Collegiate Hockey League Championship.

It all boiled down to this. Fifty-nine minutes and 59 seconds of the game were played but it all came down to one penalty shot. Andy McLaughlin took the shot for the Icers. Chris Economou was in goal for Buff State. McLaughlin is the ICHL Most Valuable Player. Economou is the ICHL first-team goalie. And the pair were lined up at opposite ends of the ice.

If McLaughlin scores, the teams will skate into overtime tied at five, with the Icers undoubtedly having the momentum. A miss ends the Penn State season one day earlier than expected.

"I was nervous," Economou said. "But I knew I would stop it. It wasn't going to go in."

McLaughlin took the puck at center ice, skated to his right. He reversed his direction, cut across mid-ice and attempted to juke the goalie with a backhand shot to the left side of the net. Economou never bit, and the puck died amidst his pads. The red light never flashed. No goal. The Bengals' celebration begun.

"It was late in the third period. The ice was bad," Coach Joe Battista said. "Those conditions favor the goaltender. The pressure is on the shooter. Andy tried to exploit (Economou's) weakness and tried to get it right between his legs."

"I couldn't believe it came to that," Bengal Coach Steve Ferrentino said. "But that's why he is an All-Star goaltender. We rode his shoulders the whole way. That's why we are here."

Ironically, only five minutes earlier, the Icers were celebrating after Dave Murphy scored what appeared to be the game-tying goal with one second remaining. The ensuing celebration was stifled when the referee waved off the score, ruling that the net was dislodged before the shot went into the net.

After an seemingly endless debate involving referees, coaches and players, it was ruled that the net was intentionally knocked off by a Buffalo State defenseman. In the National Hockey League, such an infraction would result in a goal for the scoring team. But not in the college game.

"Knowing the rules, you have got to give the defenseman credit," Battista said. "He did what he had to do to win. I don't teach my players to win that way."

Also resulting from the melee was the token ejection of Chris Cervellero.

Penn State was thusly awarded the penalty shot.

"The rules are the rules," senior defenseman Geoff Martha said. "It just seems like a real lousy way to lose a game."