History lesson: On Nov. 12 of last year at the ice pavilion, Michigan Dearborn Ice Hockey Coach Joe Aho chucked some water bottles onto the ice, and was booted from the game along with Assistant Coach Edward Forman. Several penalties later, the referees ended the game, the Icers emerging victorius.

"Last time, the game got out of hand," Aho said.

The coaches from both teams agree that kind of game probably will not happen when the American Collegiate Hockey Association's No. 1 Icers (16-3-1) play No. 7 Michigan-Dearborn (17-9-1) at 7:30 p.m. tonight in Dearborn. The Icers will battle No. 8 Eastern Michigan (15-9-2) at 9:30 p.m. tomorrow in Ann Arbor.

"I don't expect any kind of repeat of behavior from (Aho) and his assistant coach," Icer Coach Joe Battista said.

Both games are vital for Penn State, but they are even more important for the opposition. This weekend's games are crucial for teams on the edge of making the playoffs -- like Dearborn and Eastern Michigan.

"Obviously, we'd like to keep the No. 1 ranking," Icer co-captain Andrew Strasser said, "and to send a message to a lot of the teams in the league."

Special teams will play a factor, Battista said, and the Icers have worked on those situations all week in practice.

"Their power play is really good," Dearborn forward Jesse Hubenschmidt said of the Icers. "It's going to kill us if we go in the (penalty) box. We're still going to come out banging."

Aside from avoiding penalties, Hubenschmidt, who leads the ACHA in scoring with 46 goals and 39 assists, said the refereeing should be different this time. When the teams played earlier this season, the referees ended the second game early -- something Hubenschmidt said should not have happened.

"We get refs that call it the way it should be," he said. "The refs basically stay out of the game."

Eastern Michigan has lost to Penn State in nine of the teams' 11 meetings, including a two-game series last December. EMU Coach Mike Donnelly said his team has been plagued by inconsistency.

"What I want my players to do and what they do do is sometimes different," he said.

Donnelly said the return of three players from academic ineligibility last semester strengthens his team.

"(This weekend's game) is probably the biggest game since we played in the finals last year," he said. "We have to try and impress people to show that we belong."

The Icers may be without co-captain John Farrall, who broke his wrist during the Rhode Island game last Friday and was examined by a hand specialist in Cleveland yesterday.

Although Farrall may be out of the line-up, the depth of Penn State's roster is still a benefit. The team will be using four lines.

In order to add more balance, Battista mixed up some of the forward lines. He moved senior Dave Raymer to the checking line with Strasser and sophomore Andrew Barnes. Junior Matt Cavrak replaced Raymer, centering the line of freshman Jeff Adams and junior Chad Markowitz.