Monday, Feb. 17, 1997

Icers sweep weekend games

By MICHAEL PALM
Collegian Sports Writer

If Icer forward Jason Dickey converted half of his shots that hit posts or crossbars, Penn State coach Joe Battista said, Dickey would have 50 goals.

Icers forward, Jason Dickey, gets tied up by a Navy player as he pursues the puck. The Icers beat Navy and West Virginia last weekend and have won five straight. (Collegian Photo / Shawn Knapp - click for full size image)

On Saturday he had one goal disallowed, so he had to settle for the hat trick, which gave him a team-leading 25 goals. His first goal of the afternoon was the game-winner, as No. 4 Penn State defeated No. 15 Navy, 6-0, after beating West Virginia, 10-0, on Friday night.

"I've been in the right place at the right time," Dickey said.

The Icers (20-8-0, 19-5-0 ACHA) have won five straight games, and 11 of their last 13, in preparing for nationals in three weeks. In the past Battista has talked about unfulfilled scoring potential. Now, the Icers are burying teams when the opportunity presents itself.

"We haven't been putting the teams away," Dickey said. "In the last two games, we put the teams away when we had the chance."

Saturday's game was a microcosm of the season, as Penn State led only 1-0 at the end of the first period after outshooting Navy, 15-7.

The second period reflected the latest efforts of the Icers, when Penn State scored four goals on 29 shots, while limiting the Midshipmen to a measly five shots.

"We realized we were in a game," Battista said. "I think they were mad at themselves for all the missed opportunities of the first period."

Dickey sandwiched two goals around one each by Jeff Adams and Eddie Kmit to extend the lead to 5-0. "In the first period we had our chances," Dickey said. "In the second, we capitalized."

Though Navy may have been well conditioned, the Midshipmen could only throw three lines on the ice against Penn State.

The first two could hang with the Icers, Battista said, but the third wasn't as good, while the Icers could play four lines with confidence.

Limiting Navy's scoring power also helped.

"We didn't give up a lot of quality shots," Battista said. "The only times we were really threatened were when we were penalty killing."

Notes:

n John Sixt and Mark Scally shared the shutout for the Icers Saturday, while Scally and Anthony Annexy split the shutout Friday.

n Rich Podulka, who broke his jaw in early January against Arizona State, is expected to be back this weekend when Michigan State visits the ice pavilion.