The Los Angeles Raiders have a commitment to excellence. The Penn State Icers have a commitment to defense. The former is the last AFC team to win a Super Bowl. The latter is gunning for a national championship.

Excellence and defense are unavoidably linked in the quest for a title, and with a unit stressing defense first, the Icers are set to begin their journey.

No. 3 Penn State (22-7-1) takes on No. 6 Eastern Michigan (25-9-1) at 11 a.m. today. The Icers then meet No. 7 Iowa State (23-11-0) at 8:30 p.m. tomorrow, followed by a 2 p.m. match with No. 2 Arizona (24-4-0) on Friday. The championship and consolation games take place Saturday, and all games are played on the campus of Iowa State University.

The other division consists of No. 1 Ohio University (28-2-0), No. 4 North Dakota State (11-9-1), No. 5 Illinois (21-10-0), and No. 8 Michigan-Dearborn (14-14-1).

"I've been saying since the very beginning of the season that anybody can win the national championship," Battista said. "It's wide open, and I think that's great. It's what the game is all about."

Penn State has focused on the defensive aspect of the game all season, and in 1994 it began paying dividends. The team has allowed an average of 2.7 goals this year and is currently riding an 11-game unbeaten streak.

"We're as ready now as we ever will be," co-captain Erik Lightner said. "We're on a nice winning streak, everyone is playing well, and after what happened last year, we all want to win this very badly."

What happened last year is on the minds of many players as they return to tournament play. After entering the national championship game with a perfect 33-0 mark, the Icers lost a heartbreaker to North Dakota State, 2-1. And after coming so close a year ago, the chance for a title is here again.

"There will be nothing sweeter than winning nationals," co-captain Mark Cervellero said. "We have to play very intense hockey, and the team that wants it the most will win it all. I think it's us --it's destiny."

Penn State has defeated each of its tournament division opponents earlier in the season. The Icers won two of three against Eastern Michigan, defeated Iowa State at the Chicago Classic Tournament, and split a pair of games with Arizona.