Scranton's 0-12 ice hockey record may be a little deceptive. The Division III team in the Eastern Coast Athletic Conference has squared off in a league that may be too difficult for the young Royals squad, resulting in its poor record.

Still, the American Collegiate Hockey Association's No. 1 Icers (11-3-1) will not be taking Scranton lightly as they face off at 8:30 p.m. today in Scranton, Coach Joe Battista said.

"We're not going to take this game for granted," he said. "We're going to take a strong lineup out there."

Icer defenseman Mike Wenzel, who has not had much playing time this season, will get a chance to play tonight at Scranton, where he played as a freshman and sophomore. Wenzel said he is glad he transferred to Penn State and is looking forward to the match up.

"In my two years at Scranton, we didn't win a game," he said. "It was a joke."

Battista may be taking a tough squad, but he said that it might be tired from the weekend. The Icers played three games in three days, including two tough losses to Div. II Mercyhurst College and ECAC Div. III Hobart last weekend.

The Icers are looking to rebound from last Sunday's loss to Hobart, in which they led 5-2 before succumbing to their opponent 6-5 in overtime. Battista said the loss would not have bothered him as much had the Icers not relinquished such a big lead.

"That was a tough, tough loss," he said. "We gave the game away, essentially."

After good performances from goaltenders Jeff Crispino and Derek Lecours last weekend, Battista said that sophomore goalie Dan Ragan will probably get the start against Scranton, with Lecours backing him up. Crispino will sit out the game to rest his sore ankle.

The team may also be without defensemen Cam Brown and Steve Hajek, who are suffering from bronchial infections.

Scranton Coach Bill Fitzgerald said the Royals' strength lies in their goalies, but that the team is not much of a skating team. His squad also has an age gap, as there are 12 freshmen and eight seniors, which sometimes causes problems in team chemistry, he added.

"We've been in games we should have won," he said. "We find a way to lose.

"We're 0-12. We don't take anybody lightly."