The Penn State Lady Icers didn't need to look far to find a replacement after their scheduled Rhode Island opponent scratched a pair of games this weekend. They looked in the mirror.

Friday night at 9:15 at the Greenberg Sports Complex, Penn State will play a blue-white scrimmage before a Saturday matinee at 3:15 with the Erie Lady Lions. The Lady Icers will look to this weekend's contests as a final touch-up for the national tournament in Atlanta starting March 1.

The blue-white contest should bring the best out of the Lady Icers.

"It's going to be a competitive contest," said freshman Kristen Reed. "We're going to be gunning for each other."

But the Lady Icers can't get too rough with one another, a problem that has already surfaced itself.

In Thursday's practice, assistant captain Lauren Shaw skated to the net for a goal opportunity. Defender Reed looked to stop the surging Shaw but instead got her stick caught in between Shaw's skates. Shaw tripped over Reed's stick and fell to the ice. The fall further injured Shaw's already aching back. Trainers say Shaw, a key leader for the team, may have slipped a disc. The injury could sideline the junior for the national tournament, but teammates have faith that the warrior will land on her feet before the biggest games of the year.

"I think if there' s anyway she can play she definitely will," said freshmen Katie King. "We've all been looking forward to nationals for a long time, but I'd say she has even been looking to it a little more."

Shaw puts energy into her Lady Icers' team like it was a 40-hour a week job. Along with captain Jen McDevitt, Shaw schedules the majority of Penn State's contests, travel plans and team dinners and meetings. On top of that, the three-year player is the leader of Penn State's second line. Now would be the worst time to lose the key veteran.

"It'd be a great loss for the team," forward Amber DiFrank said. "Lauren is a very hard worker. She's a very good hockey player. To go to nationals without someone with her type of leadership and presence would be a big loss to us."

Friday's blue-white game will be unlike most intrasquad matchups. Usually players are competing for respect from their teammates along with front line spots. Both have already been established for Penn State.

"The confidence that we have in each other is already there from playing all these games," Reed said. "We don't need to prove anything to each other."

On Saturday afternoon the Lady Icers will end the regular season with the same team they started it with. In an Oct. 13 showdown with Erie, the Lady Icers managed to walk away with an 8-7 victory.

The game will most definitely be a solid matchup, as Erie is looking to avenge their earlier loss, and knock off an interstate rival.

"Erie is one of our favorite teams to play," Reed said. "It's going to be a good game. They're strong players."