Wednesday, March 5, 1997

ACHA tourney will be Icers' moment of truth

By MATT BELLUCCI
Collegian Sports Writer

In this season's opening news conference, Penn State coach Joe Battista said the key to the success of this year's Icers would be one word: patience. Patience with the difficult early-season schedule, patience with the defense-first philosophy, patience with the club's young players.

Penn State goalie keeps his concentration on stopping a shot from a Michigan player. The No.4-seed Icers will strut their stuff at the ACHA national tournament tonight as they face the No. 5-seed Eastern Michigan in Ann Arbor. The Icers took two games out of three against the Eagles who edged them out, 4-3, in their last meeting. (Collegian Photo/Kevin Vannicolo - click for full size image)

This way of thinking has held true all the way to the end of the season. The team survived the tough games early. It accepted the fact a defensive style is what wins playoff games. And the team's young players have stepped in and contributed significantly.

With the ACHA national tournament finally upon them, the Icers will see if Battista proves to be a prophet. The early returns are in, and so far it has worked. The team's patience has garnered it a fourth seed, and now it is a question of what the team does when it gets there.

The Icers' (24-8, 23-5 ACHA) first test comes at 7:30 tonight at the Ice Cube in Ann Arbor, Mich., against the fifth-seeded Eastern Michigan Eagles (24-12-5). The two teams have met three times this season, with the Icers taking two of the three.

Penn State swept a two-game series from the Eagles in early December at the ice pavilion, 8-2 and 5-2. The Eagles edged the Icers, 4-3, in the final seconds of their Feb. 1 game in Ann Arbor.

"I think that we certainly have an added incentive to beat Eastern Michigan after our loss there," Battista said. "This time we have (Rich) Podulka and (Todd) Dakan back in the lineup. So it changes the dynamics quite a bit."

Dakan was injured the night before the Michigan-Dearborn game and played sparingly against Eastern Michigan while centering the team's fourth line. Podulka missed the games while recovering from a broken jaw. The loss of the two centers affected the team's line combinations and power-play units.

"We feel confident that if we make a few minor adjustments that we can prevail," Battista said. "We owe Eastern one, anyway."

Eastern Michigan is coming off a 7-0 drubbing by Ohio University and a 5-0 win against Michigan-Dearborn. Battista is unsure of which Eastern Michigan goaltender will start tonight.

Russ Andrews was in net when the Eagles beat the Icers but took the loss against Ohio, while Biff Griese has had success in the past against Penn State and was between the pipes for the win against Dearborn.

"They've got a tough call to make," Battista said. "We've broken down game tapes and put clips together of both Andrews' and Griese's weaknesses and strengths and tried to show the guys the differences between the two because a goal here or a goal there can make all the difference in the world."

The schedule presents the Icers with a unique opportunity. If they can win the Eastern Michigan game there will be increased pressure on the Eagles to win their next game against Iowa State at 7:30 tomorrow night. The Icers, on the other hand, play No. 1 seed Iowa State at 1 p.m. Friday. Battista hopes his team catches the Cyclones at the right time.

"If Eastern batters Iowa State, bangs them, hits them, takes them to the limit (tomorrow) night, regardless of who wins the game, we're going to be the much better rested team for that 1 o'clock game against Iowa State on Friday," Battista said. "Since they only play three lines, it could be a detriment to them."

If the Icers can take advantage of the scheduling and defeat Iowa State, their chances for a national title are even brighter. This year's tournament is one of parity. There is not much difference among the top five teams in the league.

"Anybody can win. This is as close as it's been. There isn't the dominant team like there has been in past years," Battista said. "If there's one thing we've learned, it's that anything can happen at our national tournament."

The Icers' last practice Monday night before leaving was loose and upbeat. The team seemed in good spirits heading into the tournament, riding a nine-game winning streak and exhibiting a youthful exuberance that could carry it a long way.

If the defense continues to be the Icers' focal point, and they can avoid taking bad penalties, the patient attitude Battista has stressed all year may just pay off in the form of a national title.

Notes:

Sophomore defenseman Don Coyne is on pace to break the Icers' single-season record for points by a defenseman. After recording a goal and adding four assists in Saturday's game against Michigan, Coyne needs only three points to break the record of 53 held by John Farrall, who set the mark during the 1994-95 campaign. Jason Zivkovic also is close to the record. He currently has 47 points.
Defenseman Paul Shuttleworth and forward Joe Kupresanin were awarded the "I.C.E." Award before practice Monday night. The award goes to the player who has shown intensity and commitment throughout the season.
WKPS (90.7 FM) will provide live broadcasts of both today's game against Eastern Michigan and Friday's game against Iowa State.