When the Penn State Lady Icers travel to the Erie Valentine Tournament, they're not going to find any love fest.

Coming off a tournament in Pittsburgh and a pair of games with rival Buffalo last weekend, the road ahead doesn't get any easier for Penn State (14-4-1) when it gets on the bus for Erie.

"I expect the best competition we've had all year," said assistant captain Lauren Shaw. "A taste of nationals."

Waiting for the Lady Icers will be a trio of adult club teams that play a physical brand of Canadian hockey with a check and run style. The Syracuse Warriors (11-5-1), Nowho Timberwolves, and Chesapeake Bay Lightning (9-2-1) present quick skaters, hard checking and an experience beyond the competition Penn State has seen throughout the season.

The adult club teams Penn State will see this weekend are composed of veteran skaters and ex-Div. I players with a passion for the game.

"The Erie weekend is always a huge for us," said captain Jen McDevitt. "We play against women's teams. We're talking women who've been playing longer than some of us have been alive."

The weekend will be a war for the Lady Icers, and a great prelude to the national tournament.

Last year the Lady Icers struggled in Erie, finishing in third place out of a possible four. But the Lady Icers may have a different script in mind this season, as Penn State has rattled off four consecutive victories and is settling into its first solid cadence of the season.

The Lady Icers saw action against Syracuse earlier in the year, but were unable to keep up with the Warriors, falling 6-1.

In that matchup the Icers were frustrated early, and were without any rhythm throughout the 45 minutes of play.

Chesapeake Bay may be the best team the Lady Icers will face all season. Led by forward Rachel Rochat, who leads her lineup in goals and points, the Lightning are the back-to-back Senior A national champions. But the Lady Icers will welcome the challenge to play in the big leagues.

"This is our last big practice for nationals," said freshman Stephanie Feyock. "We're prepared for a really fast game, passing-wise and skatingwise.

"We're cautious as to how well we're going to do, but we're looking for a good learning experience."

Said Shaw: "I love this tournament. Makes us work hard for our money."

The last team the Lady Icers will see this weekend is the Nowho Timberwolves. The Wolves are a rather unknown team, as the Icers have never played them.

"I have no idea who they are," said Shaw. "No one does. They just appeared out of nowhere. Under the cover of darkness."