As the sound of the blow echoed through the Ice Pavilion, West Virginia forward Steve Duffy lay prone near center ice.

Just seconds before, when the power of the shoulder met the unsuspecting chest of Duffy, it was the moment of yet another picture-perfect body check by Icer defenseman Eddie Kmit. And as for Duffy, well, he never should have dropped his head.

About five minutes into the second period, Duffy attempted to control a loose puck near center ice. In his haste to bring the play under control, his head looked down at the ice for a split second. But it was just long enough.

Duffy's legs flew up into the air and he landed with a bang on the frozen surface. The crowd, captivated by the awesome display of power, let out a boisterous roar. And as for Kmit, it was just another excellent example of him doing what he does best.

"I definitely got a hold of him," Kmit said. "I hadn't been getting many hits lately, so I had to seize the moment when I saw it. He had his head down, and I got all of him."

Late in the third period, Kmit's intensity and aggressiveness manifested itself in a slightly less productive form. As goalkeeper Derek Lecours ventured behind his net to control the puck, he was flattened by Mountaineer forward Mike Mueller.

A small melee ensued, and as players from both teams converged near the Penn State bench, Kmit joined the crowd from across ice. But his reasons for joining the fracas were probably of a more personal nature.

"Derek is my roommate," Kmit said. "I probably took the hit on him more personally than I should have, and I'm sure Coach is going to speak to me about controlling my emotions."

Kmit, a huge crowd favorite, received a thunderous ovation each time he made a check or took a shot. And as some young fans left the arena, they spoke of starting, "The Eddie Kmit Fan Club," and refering to all tough hits, not as hits but as, "Kmits."

"I think the crowd gets Eddie all fired up," Coach Joe Battista said. "He goes out there and starts crushing people, but sometimes he forgets to keep his cool."

But big hits are certainly not all the freshman defenseman brings to the Icers. He assisted on two goals Friday night, and because of his size and ability to make things happen, he has become an asset on the power play.