Add one cup boiling water to package contents; stir until dissolved. Stir in one cup cold water. Refrigerate until firm. Makes four servings.

The secret to the American Collegiate Hockey Association's No. 1 Icers' success this year may be team chemistry. Penn State is now a unified team -- possibly for following a gelatin recipe:

Add the Icers' nine-game unbeaten streak to package contents; stir until dissolved. Stir in two losses over winter break. Refrigerate until firm. Makes four straight victories at the ACHA nationals.

Like the dessert, the Icers (14-3-1) have begun to solidify and gel. With the equivalent of a few hours in the refrigerator (the past 18 games), the Icers are almost ready to be served at the ACHA national championship beginning on March 1.

The team's chemistry, something Icer Coach Joe Battista said worried him at the beginning of the season, has shown improvement.

"With so many new players, it was going to be a crucial factor in whether or not we had a successful season," Battista said. "I think it started off better than I expected."

Last year, the veterans tended to separate themselves from the rookies. But this year is a completely different story, said senior forward Dave Raymer.

"There's no room for that now," he said. "It's just not feasible. There's not internal competition as there has been in the past."

Early season line changes made by Battista led to some confusion on the status of Raymer's line. His former line included juniors Chad Markowitz and Matt Cavrak. Cavrak joined the checking line, along with senior Andrew Strasser and sophomore Andrew Barnes.

Joining Markowitz and Raymer was Jeff Adams, a highly touted freshman from Greensburg Central Catholic High School. Battista added Adams to provide more offensive power. This line has provided that scoring punch, as it includes three of the team's top seven scorers.

The Icers' top three scorers -- junior Rob Keegan, senior Cliff Graziano and sophomore Rich Martha -- also became line mates at the beginning of the season. Graziano and Keegan played together last year and the addition of Martha solidified the unit.

Martha said the lines this year have made the team stronger overall because the scoring is spread throughout the lineup. Even the freshmen, playing on the fourth line, have been scoring.

"We're in a year where there is no first, second or third line, or even a fourth line for that matter," Martha said. "We have a very equal team."

An almost-even balance of both veterans and newcomers changed the way the team interacted -- it made them closer. Battista said senior leadership helped make the transition. He said the team got together for a mini-camp prior to the season "to break the ice, no pun intended."

Martha attributes the team's success to chemistry.

"The team is 170 times better than any other team I've played for," he said. "There's no individuals on the team that try to stick out. It's actually great."

Battista likened the improving chemistry to a trek in the wild kingdom.

"It's like we're heading up a mountain. Every now and then, you hit a plateau," he said. "Things aren't as good as they could be, but you're not falling down the hill."

Instead of falling down because of sparse playing time in the past, senior goaltender Derek Lecours has made the most of his opportunity to play this year. He has gone 6-0 so far, and Battista was quick to credit Lecours' dedication to the team.

"There's no better illustration (of the team's chemistry) than Derek Lecours," he said. "He's always paid his dues."

The close-knit team's resolve points an emphatic arrow to Arizona for the ACHA championships.

"Everything's flowing in one direction," Martha said.

Note:

-- Junior goaltender Jeff Crispino, hampered by an injured ankle, received treatment Monday and will not be able to skate until tomorrow. Battista said he hopes Crispino can avoid surgery.

"The longer we wait, the less time he'd have to rehab, to recuperate from surgery if necessary," Battista said. "On the other hand, we want to avoid surgery as much as possible."