The hype was huge. The fans were rowdy. The players were fired up. But all the University of Buffalo (6-9-1) and its fans got was an education.

The Penn State Lady Icers (14-4-1) put on a clinic for Buffalo when they all but secured a bid to the national tournament with convincing 10-2 and 6-0 victories over bitter rival Buffalo last weekend.

The last time these regional foes took the same ice on Dec. 1 at the Greenberg Sports Complex, elbows were flying, players were jawing, checking was excessive, and an all out bench-clearing riot ensued after a 6-0 Penn State victory. After eight suspensions were handed out by the ACHA and both Penn State and Buffalo were placed on probation, Penn State Coach Billie Willits was a bit weary of her team playing too physical.

"We were constantly reminded to keep our tempers down," said sophomore Faryn Shapiro. "Players all knew going into the game what we couldn't do."

Under intense harassment from Buffalo, its fans, and even the public address announcer, the Lady Icers managed to keep their heads on straight for all 90 minutes of play over the weekend.

Penn State seemed to be peaking just in time for its rematch with Buffalo. Add to the mix the return of star Andrea Lavelle after the senior served a five-game suspension for her part in the Dec. 1 brawl, and this weekend had all the hype for some passion-filled, fantastic hockey.

Penn State came out scorching, and Lavelle never missed a beat. The Lady Icers owned their opponent in Saturday's matchup, dominating the Freeze on way to a 10-2 victory.

Penn State's brilliant play frustrated Buffalo and its fans, prompting cruel remarks from the Buffalo faithful. While Lavelle was in the penalty box, Kristen Reed said a fan yelled at her that it smelled like his grandmother just died in there.

After a different Penn State penalty, players said the P.A. announcer said, "Number 26, two minutes for bulging," implying that Reed (No. 26) was a man. Buffalo coach Jim Henry was even whistled for a two-minute minor for constant complaining from the sidelines.

"It was funny because they lost 10-2 and they were being obnoxious about it," Reed said. "The fans were completely outrageous. At one point and they were yelling at me that we were all men."

The Lady Icers shrugged off the hate and headed into Sunday with their same all-business attitude. Buffalo was once again not ready for the Icers' high pressure, high attack style, as goalie Jen McDevitt went for a shutout in a Penn State 6-0 triumph. The two victories virtually locked up a trip to Georgia for nationals.

"It always feels good to beat a team that comes at you hard," McDevitt said. "Well-earned. We have a national tournament mind-frame these days."

After Penn State's domination, Buffalo players and fans waited outside the Penn State locker room for further harassment and a possible confrontation. The Lady Icers walked away instead -- with two more key victories.