It's getting to be a habit.

Described by broadcasters covering the National Tournament as the New York Yankees of ACHA Div. I hockey -- a team made up of great players and nice guys, but a team that you're just tired of seeing win all the time -- the Penn State Icers wrapped up their 2002-2003 season by winning a fourth-consecutive Murdoch Cup this past weekend.

The season has been somewhat of a roller-coaster, if you can say a 30-3-1 season is filled with ups and downs. It certainly didn't look like it would be a difficult march to the cup up until winter break.

Following an opening weekend at Rhode Island in October, one that Icers coach Joe Battista said was crucial to the team, Penn State ran roughshod over the rest of their competition. The team dismantled all comers in running it's record to a perfect 19-0 before tying at Ohio.

Then, up against then-No. 2 Illinois in mid-January without four of the team's top players and without Battista -- who went to Italy to compete in the World University Games -- the team got its first taste of defeat. The Fighting Illini handed the Icers two crucial losses at the Greenberg Ice Pavilion which could have demoralized the team. However, Battista said the two losses were actually a huge help in the end as they affected the tournament seeding much to the Icers favor.

"Everybody always asks me what it takes to win a National Championship, and I always say you've got to get your share of the breaks," Battista said. "Not having to face Ohio in those first two rounds helped us. They had enough to beat Illinois, but then they didn't have enough possibly to beat us."

With a birth in the semifinals standing just a game away, the Icers faced off against Iowa State in a game that proved to be too close for comfort. Trailing 2-0 late in the third period, Penn State was just five minutes away from being eliminated from a shot at the title. However, two enormous Icers goals took the game to overtime and a third won it for Penn State.

After victories over Delaware and Ohio, the latter of which was a 5-0 shutout in the finals on Ohio's home ice, the Icers were finally able to hold the trophy and celebrate another championship. Senior co-captain and defenseman Josh Mandel said skating with the cup one final time was truly special.

"I couldn't wait for them to call the captains forward to get the trophies," Mandel said.

"It was incredible."

Penn State senior goalie Scott Graham got better as the tournament went on, allowing one fewer goal each time out before shutting out the Bobcats. For his efforts, he was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. Graham joined teammates Glenn Zuck and Curtiss Patrick on the All-Tournament First Team, while five other Icers were named to either the second team or as honorable mentions.

"For the seniors who have been here and who have won three national championships in a row, anything else would have put a damper on our careers here," Graham said. "A win was the only thing."

After two days to relish in the glow of another title -- the Icers' fifth in six years -- Battista commented on where this team ranks with some of his other title teams.

"That [1993] team was an offensive juggernaut. The [1998] team is still probably the most talented team, but this team might be the most successful team," Battista said. "The bottom line is that when it's all said and done, you stamp champions on the chest of all these seniors because that's all they've done."

Sounds like a tough habit to kick.