As the puck ripped through the air, goalkeeper Jeff Crispino sprang from the net to turn it away. Crispino did his job, sacrificing his body to alter the course of a puck destined to reach the back of the net. But this was only the beginning.

With Crispino out of the crease, and Eastern Michigan in control of the rebound, Penn State needed to make a play. Defenseman Mark Cervellero covered the empty net and used his chest to block a drive from point blank range, preserving the Icer lead and frustrating the Eagle power play once again.

Penn State killed off eight Eastern Michigan power plays, and Crispino stopped 42 shots, en route to the Icers 5-1 win Saturday night.

"Jeff played the shot very well," Cervellero said. "When the goalie leaves the net I try and always cover the goal, and luckily I was in the right place at the right time."

The Icers seemed to be in the right place throughout the game, as a strong defensive performance overcame short-handed situations time after time. The Eagles outshot Penn State 43-28 but could not overcome the play of an opportunistic defense and the heroics of Crispino.

"I think the key on the penalty kills was our discipline," Cervellero said. "We all tried to hold our positions and not give up good scoring chances, and we got the job done."

Defenseman Larry O'Byrne scored two power-play goals this weekend and was an invaluable part of the penalty-killing unit. O'Byrne suffered through a shoulder injury earlier in the season, but his return to the lineup has helped solidify the special teams play.

"I think we played smart when we were a man down," O'Byrne said. "We conserved energy and attacked when we saw the chance."

Despite the fine play of the defense, the Eagles power play was able to control the puck for the majority of the man advantage. Because of this, Crispino was forced to make saves continuously throughout the night and he was equal to the task.

"Jeff and our penalty killing were definitely keys to the win," Coach Joe Battista said. "We worked on special teams a lot during the week, and it really paid off."