Late in a tied game, a shrill whistle stops play. A player sheepishly glides to the penalty box.

Now, there's a power play, which could make or break the game.

What to do?

For the Penn State ACHA Div. I Icers, one of the most effective teams on the power play the past few seasons, the man advantage has been a key contributor to their offense.

This year, the Icers are averaging 43 percent on the power play, meaning that about two out of every five times they hold the advantage, they score. This is something in which Icers' head coach Joe Battista says he takes great pride.

"Many people say we have the top power play, or one of the top power plays," Battista said. "We spend a lot of time practicing special teams and try to throw different looks [at each team]."

What goes into a successful power play?

First, the players say the positioning is important.

The Icers arrange the power play so that there is a defenseman at the red line who heads the offensive strike. Another defenseman slides into position in the left face-off circle in the offensive zone, with a forward in the same position in the opposite circle. The center sets up in front of the net in order to screen the goaltender from seeing the puck, while another forward is positioned behind the net.

For the Icers, senior defenseman Josh Mandel is the one who takes his place at the point, and who is responsible for setting up the offense.

"I'm the quarterback," Mandel said. "I'm up top and set everything up."

Junior Curtiss Patrick is the defenseman who positions himself in the left face-off circle, while junior Glenn Zuck is the forward who stakes out the opposite side. Zuck says these two players are the shooters, which accounts for their positioning on the wing.

Senior Neal Price is the center who is responsible for maintaining position in front of the net. The center has a multitude of responsibilities with that location.

"I have to be the play-maker and find the open ice," Price said. "I have to screen the goalie and not let him see the puck."

Behind the net is sophomore forward Kevin Jaeger. Price said it's important to get the puck down behind the net, so as to make plays without the goalie knowing where the play is going.

With the offense arranged in such a manner, Battista said there are a variety of situations that call for different plays.

"We want the power play to take what the penalty kill will give us," Battista said. "We're looking for a two-on-one situation in a high percentage area."

Battista said that means running a play if the defense is passive, whereas an aggressive defense might require more patience for a scoring chance.

So what's so special about the Icers' unit? Battista said it's the cooperation between the players on the ice.

"We've got a great quarterback in Josh Mandel, and if teams want to focus on him, he's not selfish," Battista said. "We've got guys that can shoot, like Glenn Zuck and Curtiss Patrick, and have two guys around the net that have good hands. All five of these guys have the vision."

The group agrees that the lack of an ego and the willingness to spread the puck around are responsible for the unit's success.

"We're not a selfish group," Mandel said. "We don't care who scores."

With the success so far, Zuck said he thinks goal when he hears the referee's whistle blow.

"I'm always thinking 'Wow, we're going to score,' " he said.