Icers to host Invitational Tourney

By CARLA MOTKO
Collegian Staff Writer

The No. 1 Penn State men's ice hockey team knows that it's one thing to be No. 1, and another to stay there.

So does No. 2 Iowa State.

Ever since the preseason, the Icers and Cyclones have been duking it out for an undisputed first-place ranking in the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) poll. Iowa State held the No. 1 spot until Nov. 6 when Penn State sprang ahead.

When the most recent rankings came out yesterday, the Icers (18-1) realized they were the first to hold the undisputed No. 1 position, receiving all 15 first-place votes.

The trick now for Penn State is to hang on to its position, which will be a difficult task with Iowa State (21-4-2) coming to town this weekend for the Nittany Lion Invitational at the Ice Pavilion at the Greenberg Sports Complex. Along with the Cyclones, No. 5 Towson (16-4-2) and Erie College (12-6-2) will also be in the tournament.

"This weekend is going to be a big one in the ACHA," Penn State goaltender Anthony Annexy said. "It's going to mean momentum heading into nationals and a secure spot at No. 1."

Penn State has a solid record of success as the tournament's host. But before the Icers can worry about winning the tournament, they must first take on Erie at 8 p.m. today. That game will fall just after Iowa State takes on Towson at 5 p.m. The winners of the two games will face off in the championship match 8 p.m. tomorrow while the two losing teams will play in a consolation game at 5 p.m. tomorrow.

Both Penn State and Iowa State already are hoping to do battle against each other in the championship match, and unless the ACHA voters have been wrong all season, they will probably get their wish.

"There's a lot of bad blood between us and Iowa State," Annexy said. "They'll probably come at us with everything they have, they always do. We can't hold anything back against them."

The rivalry between the two teams has been going on for several seasons and thickens every time they meet. The last meeting resulted in the end of the Cyclones' season when the Icers beat them in the ACHA semifinals last year.

But according to Iowa State coach Al Murdoch, due to graduations, his team is almost completely different from last year's.

"We've got a really young team, and they've learned real quick not to complain and to work hard," Murdoch said. "This is really a rebuilding year for us."

No matter how inexperienced the Cyclones are, Penn State knows not to let the youth of the team fool them. Penn State coach Joe Battista knows there will not be an easy game for his team for the rest of the season.

Because of Penn State's No. 1 ranking, the team believes opponents will come out with everything they can to knock it out of the top seat. The Icers also know that in order to hold on to their precious undisputed No. 1 ranking, they'll need more than a close win against Iowa State.

"We need to make a really good showing and come out with a big win," Annexy said. "Everyone in the ACHA will be watching us to see how we perform. We want to give assurance to anyone with