Sometimes success isn't measured in championship hardware, but rather in the improvement that a team makes from the previous year.

That was the case this season with the Div. II Penn State Ice Lions.

The Ice Lions had their promising season cut short after a disappointing showing in the American Collegiate Hockey Association's National Championship tournament they played in earlier in the season.

The team failed to win a game in the opening round of the tournament.

"I think we improved vastly over last year, [we] learned to play together, and for each other," said Penn State Ice Lions coach Mo Stroemel.

"And we have a good sense of what it will take to get back to the tournament next year ... and win."

Although, the team earlier stated that the goal was not to win the championship, rather, to just make the tournament and show the rest of the ACHA that Penn State was a national caliber team.

"Our goal from the start of the year was to make it to the national tournament, and of course we did it," said Penn State goalie Brian Gratz.

"So, I think as a team, we met the goals we set for ourselves."

Gratz also feels that the team now realizes that it is a nationally recognized team, so just making the tournament will not cut it in the future.

"It's not good enough to just make it there for this team anymore, and I think everyone knows this," Gratz said.

"We were a really young team this year and I think that that plays to our advantage for the years to come."

Stroemel echoed the statements of Gratz.

"I think the team did very well this year," Stroemel said.

"Obviously we're disappointed with our showing at nationals, but we feel confident about next year because we have a young team and we now have the tournament experience behind us."

While waiting for next year, the team can revel in the individual achievements that some of the players earned on the team.

Ralph Stoehr received Honorable Mention for the All-Region team for the Northeast region.

Stoehr had 20 goals and 20 assists for 40 points in 29 games.

Ryan Tocicki was named to the second team All-Region for the Northeast region.

He had 24 goals and 27 assists for a total of 51 points in 30 games.

Stroemel feels that if the team had a little longer run in the tournament, then these players would have gained even more recognition for the team they are.

"I believe that if we had done better at nationals they would have all got a greater level of recognition, but it is very satisfying to see these young men receive some of the recognition they deserve," Stroemel said.

Gratz, on the other hand, received some of the best awards handed out despite the short stint in Anaheim, Calif.

Gratz was named as a first-team All-American, Northeast Region Player of the Year, and first-team All-Region for the Northeast region.

His goals-against average was 1.76, as he stopped 95 percent of the 1,001 shots he faced.

He only allowed 49 goals in 28 games.

For the Ice Lions, these awards only confirm what they have known the whole season about Gratz.

"Obviously, our entire team believes that there simply is no better goalie in the country than Brian," Stroemel said.

Gratz first learned of his awards from a phone call from his parents.

After getting past the initial shock of these tremendous achievements, he began to analyze his accomplishments.

"There were a ton of great goalies out there and to be named as the first-team All-American was a very pleasant surprise," Gratz said.

"But what really blew me back was the fact that I was named the Northeast Player of the Year, because there was so much talent in our region that I never could have expected that." Stroemel was not only dishing out the praise for his team, but got some thrown back at him for being named as the Northeast Region Coach of the Year.

"For all of the time and effort he puts into this program, it's nice to finally see him get an accolade like this, and to be recognized nationally," Gratz said.

Stroemel feels especially humbled by the fact that this is an award that is decided by the regional coordinators and his fellow coaches.

"I'm very honored to receive recognition as the Northeast Region Coach of the Year," Stroemel said.

"It is always an honor to be recognized by your peers."

The coach was quick to give praise to his team for his accolade by crediting the team's hard work and behavior. Stroemel, who grades the team each year, cited the team's GPA of a 3.1 as an improvement over last year's performance, and the players' classy behavior at the nationals as the reasoning behind the award.

"Our guys' hard work, on and off the ice, is probably the main reason for this award," Stroemel said.

The Ice Lions will be back and ready to go next semester, with the hopes of adding a national championship trophy to the growing list of individual awards and trophies already resting in the display case.