Have you seen me lately?

By KEVIN BRICKER
Collegian Staff Writer

John Sixt hasn't been himself lately.

That much was revealed in front of a packed house last Saturday at the Ice Pavilion at Greenberg Sports Complex. The goaltender for the Penn State men's ice hockey team allowed two goals he would normally deny and the No. 1 Icers fell to No. 2 Iowa State 5-3 in the finals of the Nittany Lion Invitational Tournament.

And while Sixt made some spectacular saves on a speedy Cyclones team, it was the two soft goals that he couldn't forget.

The first came on a slap shot by Cyclones forward Brian Paolello just 1:52 into the game. Sixt gloved it, but it popped out and slid into the net.

The second came at a crucial point in the game while the Icers were nursing a 3-2 lead in the third period. A shot by Iowa State forward Sean Strama from a seemingly impossible angle found space between Sixt's legs -- tying the game. It was from close range and to the left of Sixt, but through the five hole.

In lieu of those two errors, Sixt shouldered full responsibility for Penn State's second loss of the season.

"I told (backup goalie) Anthony (Annexy), 'If you would've played we would've won,' " Sixt said. "I wasn't too happy about the outcome of the game, but I'm not going to sit here and cry about it."

But Sixt's recent struggles -- including a shaky two-period, three-goals-allowed outing against No. 11 West Virginia on Jan. 15 -- can be linked to a traumatic experience in Arizona.

During a road trip to Arizona earlier this month during winter break, Sixt got a familiar but frightening sensation. Upon entering Arizona State's arena, his eyes began burning, his nose running and an asthma attack ensued.

Then it hit him.

Prior to the Icers' arrival, the arena had hosted a rodeo exhibition. Sixt is allergic to many types of animal hair, but horsehair in particular.

"I go walking into the building," Sixt said, "and all of a sudden my nose is running. And because of it being indoors, the ventilation was horrible."

But the Buffalo, N.Y., native didn't allow an allergic reaction to keep him off the ice. He covered his face with a coffee filter while strapping on the goalie gear, then went between the posts and aided Penn State in its 5-2 win.

As the Icers traveled to Phoenix for two games against No. 4 Arizona, Sixt felt better. But the dry desert air's pollution levels were high and a viral throat infection was floating around.

When he woke up that Friday morning, Sixt was exhausted.

He went to the hospital and was diagnosed with a viral infection. He spent three hours there while two liters of fluid were pumped intravenously into his body.

"I have reason to believe I got hit with two viral infections," Sixt said. "One in Tucson and one in Phoenix."

Annexy replaced Sixt and led the Icers to 6-2 and 3-2 wins.

Sixt dropped 10 pounds from his normal 175-pound frame. Since then his weight has climbed back to 170 and he claims his physical skills have completely returned.

But Sixt has not regained his mental edge.

"Physically, I'm alright," he said. "I got to get my head screwed on right. I've had a hard time. I didn't have the extra spark that I've had throughout my whole career."

Icers coach Joe Battista isn't alarmed.

"The bottom line is everybody doesn't need to panic," Battista said.

"Everybody has bad nights. As long as he stays positive and keeps his focus he'll be fine for the stretch run."

Sixt, who models his goaltending after a combination of NHL netminders, including Martin Brodeur, Patrick Roy and Grant Fuhr, knows the remedy.

"I got to get some solid practices," he said. "I just got to get used to stopping shots. I'm fighting the puck."

If Sixt's struggles continue, Battista can turn to the reliable Annexy. Penn State has the luxury of two strong senior goalies, and Battista said he will not be shy to take full advantage.

"Anthony (Annexy) could be a starter at most ACHA teams," Battista said. "They both know this is a performance-based position."

But Battista is confident Sixt will return to form.

"I haven't lost faith in him," Battista said. "I still believe in him. He'll be given ample time to right the ship."