The coach of the No. 2 Penn State men's ice hockey team felt at least part of the team's trophy belonged to its loyal fans.

More than half of the fans in Delaware's 2,300-capacity Fred Rust Arena were Icers fans who cheered for Penn State, taunted its opponents and gave the arena a genuine hockey atmosphere throughout the tournament.

"We had a great crowd," Battista said. "Despite the weather, a lot of people ventured down here to see us and that says a lot about our team support. It was like playing a home game."

Penn State fans from Happy Valley, as well as those from the Newark, Del. area, came out to watch as their team made a run at a second-consecutive national title. The cheers and chants that usually resound through the Ice Pavilion at Greenberg Sports Complex filled the ears of everyone in Delaware.

The fans that reside in the section of the Ice Pavilion known as Section E made their own Section E in the middle of the Fred Rust Arena stands. They brought with them all of the rituals they carry out at Penn State.

Just as they do at Penn State, as the national anthem was played to start each game, the fans shouted, "The home of the Icers," as if it should be made the last line of the song.

When Penn State scored, the fans kept their own score with "the cheese count." After Icers' goals, the fans taunted opposing goaltenders with pointed chants. In the case of Iowa State's goalie, Dan LaVoie, after each of Penn State's four goals he heard, "Dan, hey Dan. You suck!" in harmony from the fans.

When Penn State scored a short-handed goal at 12:12 in the third period against Michigan-Dearborn in the semifinal match to make the score 4-1, a single Section E fan yelled, "Pull the goalie," to which the rest of the fans replied, "What goalie?"

As time wound down on the clock at the end of each period, the fans shouted, "How much time is left?" After the announcer gave the one-minute warning, the fans replied, "Thanks a lot."

And as a requirement for every good sports fan, the Penn State fans rode the referees and linesmen for missed and bad calls. After missing a penalty call in the game against Iowa State, the fans chanted, "I'm blind, I'm deaf, I want to be a ref."

Including the amusement that the chants provided for the other spectators, it provided a much-needed home atmosphere for the Icers. Without the support of the fans, Penn State may not have been able to make it as far as it did during the year, as well as in the tournament.

Each time the Icers fell a goal or two behind in the tournament, the fans stayed behind them to help them stay in the game. They helped start each of the three rallies for Penn State to come back and tie the game with Iowa State, and although the team lost, the fans stayed behind their team.

Delaware, the host school that also played as the No. 7 seed in the tournament, tried to rally its fans with their kooky Blue Hen mascot. Iowa State sent a pod of cheerleaders -- even though everyone knows there are no cheerleaders in hockey.

But Penn State had by far the best fan support of any team in the tournament. That is why in the end, Penn State fans were the only ones honored with part of a tournament trophy.

And even if it was the second-place trophy, I'm sure none of the fans really minded.