ERIE -- If "it" would have happened, the Icers would have soared into the clouds with confidence. "It" would have been an upset of Mercyhurst College (12-1-0), the top-ranked NCAA Division II hockey team in the country, last Friday night in the first game of a four-game, five-day docket.

It almost happenened.

The American Collegiate Hockey Association's No. 1 Icers (11-3-1) leaped out to a two-goal lead with goals by Matt Cavrak and Jeff Adams. That lead did not last long.

Penalties taken by Tom Westfall and Andy Strasser led to two power-play goals by the Lakers, tying the game at 2-2. The Lakers, comprised of mostly Canadian players, added two more goals in the third period for a 4-2 lead.

Just eight seconds after the Lakers' fourth goal, Strasser redeemed himself with a goal that trickled into the net between the legs of Laker goaltender Chris Herbolsheimer. Rich Martha tied up the game less than a minute later and the Icers were rejuvenated.

"Penn State has a helluva hockey team," Mercyhurst Coach Rich Gotkin said. "I knew they were good. I didn't know they were that good."

But the final Mercyhurst goal at 15:52 of the third period was the final score. The Icers mounted a rally on a power play at the end of the game, before losing 5-4.

"I know there's no way that the fans back at Penn State can appreciate the magnitude of what an upset this would have been had we been able to pull it off," Icers' Coach Joe Battista said. "Essentially, this team is two levels ahead of us."

The team faced another tough battle last night in a game with ECAC Division 3 Hobart College (6-5). The Icers almost pulled off the upset, only to fall short again.

At the end of the second period, the Icers lead the game 5-2. The team was lead by two-goal performances from both Cavrak and Dave Raymer.

The Statesmen mounted a comeback, scoring the tying goal with just 19 seconds left in the game after Hobart pulled their goalie and Penn State was whistled for an interference penalty. The game ended with a Hobart goal at 3:08 of overtime, 6-5.

"We just pissed away a golden opportunity," Battista said. "We made some real bonehead plays" at the end of the game.

"We definitely played well enough to win this game."

In what Battista called "one of the gutsiest performances" he has ever seen, the Icers received a confidence boost from the Mercyhurst game for Saturday's contest against the Erie Community College Kats at the Leisure Rinks in Orchard Park, N.Y.

In a sluggish start Battista blamed on bus lag, the Icers only scored one goal in the first period on a P.J. Amodeo point shot. Amodeo, who hails from nearby Buffalo, also added an assist.

The Icers' line of Cliff Graziano, Rob Keegan, and Martha exploded in the second period, tallying all four goals for a 5-0 final.

"We had a great performance from our blue line," Battista said. "That line was just flying."

The goaltending was split again as Jeff Crispino played Friday and last night, while Derek Lecours recorded the Icers' first shutout of the season Saturday night.

Note:

-- The Icers closed out the semester with a 9-2 win over the University of Buffalo. Martha scored two goals and Keegan added four assists in the victory.