"Johnny played a terrific game," Battista said of the goalie that gave the Icers their national title last year. "Let's face it, we don't make it this far without the play of Johnny Sixt."

Sixt stopped 43 of 49 shots -- one of the highest totals he has faced all season. Iowa State coach Al Murdoch's game plan was for the team to shoot high right. From watching hours of game tape on Penn State, he believed there was a weakness there.

Murdoch said it was because the Cyclones knew the game plan and stuck to it that they were so successful. In fact, the game plan was so successful that Iowa State had its first goal within the first five minutes of the game.

And it came from a shot above Sixt's right shoulder.

It looked as if Penn State would head to the locker room with a 1-0 deficit after the first period, but with just nine seconds left on the clock, forward Todd Dakan found the back of the net to knot the score at 1.

The Icers skated off the ice with all the momentum, but Iowa State came back on to the ice with it. The Cyclones came out harder and faster than in the first period and poked in a goal within the first three minutes of the second period to make the score 2-1.

One of the things that worked for Iowa State was big plays by individuals. Penn State forward Neal Price also employed that approach to put in the game-tying goal, his first as an Icer.

With less than two minutes left in the second period, Iowa State took another one-goal lead. Again, it looked like Penn State would head to the locker room one goal behind, but with one tick left in the period, Penn State defenseman Jason Zivkovic buried a rebound shot to tie the game at 3.

Although the two late-period goals by Penn State gave the game a flair of excitement, Zivkovic said it hurt the team more than it helped.

"If we would have had more time at the end of the periods after we got those goals to go out and keep jumping on them, that could have helped us," the senior defenseman said. "But because they were right at the end of the period it allowed them to regroup."

It was obvious both teams had the same plans for the start of the third period -- score quick and score often. Iowa State pulled off that plan by scoring two skilled goals within the first 2:30 of the period, making the score 5-3. The first of those goals was another shot towards Sixt's stick-hand shoulder.

But the Icers wouldn't let up. At the 5:55 mark, forward Rich Podulka pulled the Icers to within one goal.

However, Iowa State sealed the deal only three minutes later to finish the game, 6-4.

After the game, the Cyclones joined hands to do a victory song and dance celebrating their first title in seven years. The Icers meanwhile comforted each other with hugs and pats on the shoulder. Six Icers earned All-Tournament Team honors, but it was little consolation.

"I know there's a lot of disappointment right now," Battista said. "After the game I told them, 'Hey guys, you played a great game, I know you're disappointed, but hold your heads high. You got beat by a better team today.' "