Icers' Lucky Shots

This article published exclusively online.

By CARLA MOTKO
Collegian Staff Writer

NEWARK, Del. -- After only taking 12 shots on goal through 60 minutes of play, it was no wonder Towson only registered one goal. But after Penn State took 59 shots, it didn't really have an excuse for only scoring five goals.

The only thing the Icers had to blame it on was Derek Rabold, the Tigers' goaltender.

"That kid stood on his head the whole game," Penn State defenseman Brad Hamel said. "We weren't getting much air under the puck, but still, if not for that kid being in goal, we would have blown them out."

Hamel put the first goal by Rabold, but after that, although shots were high, actual scoring chances were low.

The combination of a hot goal and a barrage of post shots kept Penn State's usual high goal count to a minimum.

Penn State coach Joe Battista said before the start of the ACHA Tournament he was tired of running into streaky goalies, and after yesterday's game against the Tigers, he just had to shake his head in disbelief all of the 54 times his team was denied a goal.

"Rabold was putting on a show for everybody," he said. "There were times when I put my hands up because I thought we had scored. But when I looked, I said, 'How did he save that?' "

Although Battista knows his team has broken through hot goalies before, it worries him when his own team is responsible for not connecting on scoring chances.

"I have confidence in this team, but I'm sick of us not getting any breaks," Battista said. "But it's a good thing that we kept at it and didn't falter."

It was especially difficult for the Icers to keep going after they hit the post so many times. The Icers, who usually have two or three points per game, hit the post that many times and were blanked otherwise.

Coming in on a two-man rush, forward C.J. Patrick took a wrist shot that hit both posts and the crossbar. Hamel said it was those types of plays that frustrated the team.

"We were definitely getting the chances, we just weren't burying the puck like we wanted to," Hamel said. "Later on, I assume we're not going to get as many chances as we did."