First it was the offense. Then it was the defense. Now the Penn State men's ice hockey team is finding other ways to win games.

For example, the defending national champions are proving they have a tremendous amount of depth. In Penn State's weekend sweep of No. 4 Delaware, the Icers (6-0-1) netted nine goals, all by different players.

Head coach Joe Battista said his fourth line, or Gold line, may have been the difference in defeating the Blue Hens on the road.

"These guys played outstanding all weekend long," he said referring to the play of Gold line mates Jack Weber, Scott Fyffe and Dustin Martin. "Our depth is capable of playing good defense and creating havoc for the other team. It's a bonus that they're putting points on the board."

The play of Scott Graham and Geoff Beauparlant between the pipes was likewise impressive this weekend. Graham made 24 saves in three full periods of play Friday while Beauparlant stoned the Blue Hens 31 times during his three periods of ice time Saturday.

The Icers dominated the first period by jumping out to a 2-0 first period lead behind goals by defensemen Greg Mandel and Brandon Cook.

After commanding the better part of the first 30 minutes, the Icers allowed Delaware (6-3-0) to creep back into the game by letting up two goals during the second stanza. The second goal came with just 35 seconds remaining in the period.

However, the Icers came storming back in the third period to score four goals, highlighted by Curtiss Patrick's first score as an Icer and a big goal by Martin, to capture the 6-3 victory.

"It was a very exciting and physical game," Battista said.

But it wasn't nearly as physical as the weekend's second contest in which the Icers outlasted the Blue Hens, 3-1.

Alon Eizenman, whose four points this weekend put him alone as Penn State's fourth all-time leading scorer with 214 points, got the Icers on the board with a first-period goal. Scott Curry tacked on a second goal resulting from a freak bounce off the ice that handcuffed Delaware goalie Bjorn Christiano.

From the outset, Battista could see that this game was going to be filled with bone-rattling hits and some serious jawing. In fact, he had to calm his guys down during one intermission.

"I wrote up on the board at the end of the second period that the most important thing was to keep our cool," Battista said.

After Icer Paul Crooker netted a wrap-around goal to open up a three-goal lead late in the third period, the Blue Hens responded with a power play goal to make it 3-1 with five minutes remaining, but then things got ugly.

With just over two and a half minutes to go, Delaware had a ton of momentum and appeared ready to strike again when Blue Hens forward Jake Skinner and Icer forward Bobby Pate got tangled up and wrestled each other to the ice. Skinner, who seemed frustrated by the physical pounding that was being doled out all night, began punching Pate and grabbed Pate's mask, an automatic five minute penalty and ejection.

"Bobby had the discipline not to fight back and that was basically the end of the game," Battista said. "Bobby took one for the team. It was a tremendous act of courage on his part."

Pate said he had the urge to fight back but knew the consequences would be more costly to his team than getting the satisfaction of revenge for himself.

"When you got a guy who jumps you, it's really hard not to fight back," Pate said. "It takes a lot to take punches, but it's best for the team."

Battista said his team needs to get used to this style of play.

"It was a war out there," he said. "Everyone had to protect themselves. Our guys just have to understand that's how people are going to play against us. People are going to try to get us off of our game."