The timing was absolutely perfect. In the Icers' most important game of the year, center Dave Raymer turned in his best performance.

Scoring once, and winning the majority of key faceoffs in the third period, Raymer's play was a crucial component in No. 3 Penn State's (23-7-1) 7-5 win over No. 6 Eastern Michigan (25-10-1) in the opening game of the national tournament in Ames, Iowa.

"Dave Raymer played an absolutely phenomenal game," Coach Joe Battista said. "He really came through for us on faceoffs, and he was one of our biggest stars."

Goalkeeper Jeff Crispino turned in a stellar game of his own. Crispino, stopped 38 of 43 shots and made several key saves in the game's final moments, preserving the victory. With Penn State leading 6-5, the goaltender stopped a sequence of shots, leaving fans and teammates in awe.

As two Eagles rushed toward him, he dropped to the ice to stop the initial blast. Scrambling to his feet, he stood up just long enough to kick his right skate into the path of an incoming shot.

"Jeff made some incredible saves in this game," Battista said. "He kept us alive in the first period, and when the game was on the line, he came up big every time."

But Crispino was not defending the goal by himself. With Penn State clinging to a one-goal lead, senior co-captains Mark Cervellero and Erik Lightner, displayed the leadership and determination that has made their careers a success.

"Mark Cervellero and Erik Lightner were outstanding throughout the last 10 minutes," Battista said. "They came up big time and time again, and this is the kind of play you need to hold on and grab a win."

The Icers got contributions from several players, and this is what it will take to capture a national championship.

"We need everybody to play their best hockey," forward Brad Russell said earlier in the week. "The team that works the hardest, and wants to win the most, will come out on top."

Russell scored one goal and assisted on another, bringing his career point-total to 201. He found the net after collecting a rebound and stuffing the puck into the goal.

Although Battista was elated to escape with a win, he acknowledged that room for improvement still exists.

"We definitely did not play our best hockey," Battista said. "We had a couple of breakdowns in team defense, but we never gave up, and I think that's why we were able to come out on top."