With precious seconds to spare, he hurled his body to the ice. Hoping the puck would tear into his frame, Icer forward Don Lamison thurst himself into harms way, blocking a shot with seconds left to preserve the Icers win.

Lamison was all over the ice this weekend, scoring three goals and assisting on three others, leading No. 3 Penn State (20-7-1) to a 4-3 victory on Saturday and a 3-3 tie on Friday with Division III Buffalo State (8-11-5).

"Here's what you have to understand about the kind of player Don Lamison is," Coach Joe Battista said. "Not only does he have three goals and an assist, but he blocks that shot with about a minute left, and then clears it out of the zone. That says a lot about him, and those are the kind of plays that win championships."

Lamison notched the first of his three goals Saturday afternoon midway through the first period. Defenseman Erik Lightner found Lamison open in the right circle, and the junior did the rest.

"I was in good position to shoot, so I just closed my eyes and let it fly," Lamison said. "The hat-trick felt good because I hadn't had one in a while, and this was a big game for us to win going into the tournament."

Penn State took a 3-1 lead into the second intermission, when Lamison scored his second goal of the game. After several Icer shots at the Bengal net, he collected the rebound and deposited the puck into the left corner of the goal. But in what would be a pattern for the weekend, Buffalo State came back.

The Bengals got two scores in the first 7:27 of period three to tie the game at 3-3. But with just under seven minutes to play Lamison notched the game winner for the team, and the hat-trick for himself.

Goalkeeper Dennis Magulick was spectacular in net, stopping 38 shots and notching his fourth-consecutive win. The senior netminder is undefeated in 1994 and hopes the team can continue its winning ways.

"The guys in front of me did a great job," Magulick said. "We played an excellent hockey team, and it took a total team effort to come out on top."

The game Friday night was extremely physical, as officials whistled a total of 23 penalties. The Icers killed off 7-of-8 Buffalo power plays en route to the 3-3 deadlock.

Lamison's two assists led the offense, and Penn State grabbed a 3-1 advantage 8:54 into the second period. But the Bengals refused to quit, scoring once in the second and once in the third period to force the overtime.

The overtime was filled with fast-paced action, as both teams had several good scoring chances. Icer goalkeeper Jeff Crispino made two diving saves in the extra session, preserving the tie.

"I was just focusing on the puck and hoping it would hit me," Crispino said. "Everything is desperation in overtime, and you just wonder how much longer you're luck will last."