He wears a worn-out red Montreal Canadiens jersey when he plows through practice drills with pure determination. Dave Raymer, forward of the Icers' red line, knows his job -- do whatever it takes to stop the attack.

More often than not, he wrestles his opponent to the ice with the puck sliding free. The checking line then breaks up ice and Raymer looks to make a play. He skates, controlling the puck, until he hears his winger shout in French, "Guy."

"I call him that when I call for the puck," Matt Cavrak said of his linemate who reminds him of Canadiens Guy Carbonneau and Guy Lefleur. "That's the nickname I've given him. He's got a couple of other nicknames, but I can't say them."

No matter what one calls him, Raymer is not hard to notice during a game. His passion for his sport is undeniable, referring to hockey as a lifestyle -- an addiction. And his precise execution of faceoffs is unbelievable. Rarely does he lose a draw in the circle.

This was most evident in yesterday's AHCA first-round game against Eastern Michigan as Coach Joe Battista called on Raymer's faceoff skills late in the game to preserve a 7-5 victory.

Just as his offensive skills generate plays, his defensive prowess contains opponents. Raymer prides himself on not backing down from people, nor is he afraid to pay the price for doing so.

"I really like to stick my chin in there," the 6-foot, 195-pound forward joked. "I guess that might be the reason why I got 10 stitches in my chin so far this year."

The junior forward called himself "a low-key, blue-collar" player. After two frustrating years of being shuffled in and out of the lineup, Raymer is finally getting the respect he's sacrificed for in practice and games. And he's also playing the kind of hockey most needed in these last days of competition at nationals.

Perhaps this is why entering today's game against Iowa State, Raymer's tallied 15 goals and nine assists in 31 games. But Battista said he is more impressed with Raymer learning how to make the best use his defensive talents.

Raymer received a different kind of punishment from fans at Arizona earlier this semester and loved every minute of it. He remembered skating onto the ice to "Darth Vader" music with 7,200 die-hard hockey fans pouring beer and spitting on the team.

"I was in the box and the whole section around me, which was about 1,000 people, were chanting my name and throwing stuff at me," Raymer said, laughing about his penalties and his response. "I smiled the whole time."

No. 11 admitted he must first complete his game-day routine before he plays. Raymer makes donning his game apparel more than a chore, he makes it a science.

"I'll usually go though the exact same way I put my equipment on every single game," he said, "left pads first, then right pads, then just try to go through everything the same."

Away from the rink, defenseman Jeff Eccleston said his roommate has the gift to gab and spends much of his free time on the phone. Eccleston also stressed that Raymer runs a household as well as he runs up phone bills.

"He's kind of the mom of the house," Eccleston laughed. "He makes sure the house stays pretty neat and orderly, so he's always honest about doing our dishes."

Looks like Raymer can clean house off the ice, as well as on it.