Ask senior Curtiss Patrick if he prefers boxers or briefs, and he'll say purple thongs.

Question fellow senior Jack Weber on what he would be doing if he weren't playing hockey, and he'd say perfecting the art of underwater basket weaving.

Finally, ponder why captain senior Bill Downey came to Penn State and he will say he was on the way to Harvard, but ran out of gas.

Not your standard answers.

Then there was last Saturday afternoon, when the smell of perspiration from a 12th-straight win for the No. 1 Penn State ACHA Div. I Icers, this time an 8-1 shellacking of Drexel, still lingered in the air.

Penn State Icers head coach Joe Battista, making last rounds, strolled into the locker room. Above the lively music and playful banter back and forth that could be overheard, Battista's voice drowned out the surrounding clutter.

"Oh my God," Battista said, drawing out the first two words slightly.

As Weber came out of the locker room, Battista's words came into focus. Weber, whose outfit would have made late golfer Payne Stewart blush -- an argyle navy, red and green sweater with matching socks and beret, white collared shirt and tie, yellow knickers and brown loafers -- couldn't hold back a big grin.

"It's bringing out my Irish roots," Weber said.

His partner in crime, Patrick, was standing beside him, smiling as well. As the ringleader of the group that takes pleasure in making a mockery of the normal pregame apparel of a suit and tie, he seemed pleased with what he has created.

"[His outfit] beat me out for sure. It's awesome," said Patrick, whose outfit, which included a pink suit coat, pink collared shirt and teal pants on this day, screamed outrageous itself.

Along with Patrick and Weber, three others -- Downey, senior Joe Sheridan and junior Kevin Jaeger -- have joined in on the charade of nonstandard dress that crosses Dumb and Dumber with the neon mania of the 1970s.

The guys have gone to great lengths to look this good -- or bad, depending on whom you ask. Among other things, fruitful trips to the local Goodwill over the last three years provided them with a handful of gear, and Patrick hit the jackpot this summer when his uncle, Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Craig Patrick, handed over 30 old suits he had hanging around.

Designer outfits? Please. The more hideous the better is the consensus, and it shows. And this, they agreed, makes the chore of dressing up much easier. "If we have to wear a suit, we might as well make it fun," Patrick said.

Should the players prep their get-ups in front of the mirror -- which at times maybe they should -- they would see a reflection of their own personalities beyond their rugged exterior according to teammates and coaches.

Tenacious and unyielding on the ice during the game, the guys have been described as fun-loving, colorful, goofy and free-spirited off of it. Judging by the fans and family gawking and taking pictures in the lobby after each game, the fad seems to be gaining momentum.

"We want people to come up and talk to us," Jaeger said. "We're all very outgoing and, surprise, we like to talk to people and like to have fun."

This includes chatting with the opposite sex.

"Yeah chicks dig it, chicks love it," Patrick said.

Their teammates are not as fond of the whole thing, but rather are amused by trying to figure out what is coming next. And they have their own theories as to why the guys do what they do, with some being more appropriate then others.

"I think that they wear the outfits because it's their true self coming out," freshman Chris Matteo said. "Hockey is a violent game, and they would like to show their feminine side a little more."

Meanwhile, Battista has taken it all in stride -- besides from the occasional what-have-I-gotten-myself-into stares and his patented raised eyebrow.

"I feel like I'm getting ready to go back to my high school prom," Battista said.

It's getting late in the afternoon now, as familiar faces wait again in the lobby for the players to arrive. The crowd is small, but word has spread quickly about the outfits being the best yet as a few players leak out from the long hall that leads to the locker room.

Those who had seen the outfits had a hard time describing just how excessive the clothing was. They could only smile.

"I'll say borderline fruity," Patrick said of the outfits. "The more manlier you are the more fruity stuff you can wear; that's what I think."

Which is not your standard thinking.