Joe Battista is physically drained.

It's been a nail-biting weekend. He steps out of the locker room, with the pungent smell following him, and breathes a sigh of relief.

Battista's had a tough day.

The Penn State Icers coach can look back on the last 24 hours -- from the drop of the puck Friday to leaving the rink Saturday night -- knowing his team won both its games, but that doesn't begin to tell Battista's story.

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All Pat Schaeffer needed to do was take two more strides and send the puck down the ice, but that would have been easy. Instead, with less than 90 seconds remaining, and the Icers clinging to a one-goal lead -- after coming back from a 2-0 deficit -- Schaeffer iced the puck.

He didn't take those two steps, and Battista erupted on the bench.

Picture this: the animated coach leaps into the air in astonishment. Michigan-Dearborn can change lines and set up a play in the Icers' zone. Battista is yelling so loud, his voice echoes throughout the standing room only crowd at the Greenberg Ice Pavilion.

In the process, Battista injured his back, and will require a nice-sized bag of ice.

As a player Joe Battista was one of the best defensemen in Icers history. He was twice named a MACHC First Team All-Star and captained the squad his senior season.

However, Battista found out he could not stay away from the game, which he loved too much.

Joe Battista Jr. arrives at his office at 11:30 Saturday morning. His oldest child, Brianna steps out of the passenger side of their silver car and prepares for a long day of work with her father.

Although his playing days are over, Battista must see the trainer first thing to get ice for his back. He hopes to get treatment before the 3:30 game, but first there is work to be done.

Ask the veteran coach how his team did in yesterday's game, and he'll give you a look that only a coach can. The kind that makes a person squint and realize that was a stupid question. The Icers won 4-3 Friday night and Battista still isn't happy. Winning isn't always good enough.

"We've won six national championships since I've been here," he says. "But that means we've lost ten."

Battista and assistant coach Chris Schmale watch tape of last night's game. They wonder why the Icers had so many problems breaking Michigan-Dearborn's trap, and why players were making so many rookie mistakes.

Close to one o'clock there's a knock at the door. It's Brianna, who wants to borrow the car keys to get something.

"Make sure I get these back," Battista says.

Brianna returns a few minutes later, and shuts the door on her way out. Her father has work to do.

Heidi Battista went to school at Penn State at the same time her soon-to-be husband Joe did. However, the two were not college sweethearts, according to Heidi.

Joe spent time interning for the Pittsburgh Penguins, as an assistant at Kent State and Culver Military Academy. He then returned to be a part of the Icers and would soon begin dating Heidi. The rest, as she put it, "is history." The two were married in 1989.

Michigan State scores another touchdown against Penn State, and Battista turns off the television. It's time to meet with the players, only some are missing from the mandatory 1:15 meeting, which is unacceptable. Battista proceeds, and as players stumble in, he notes how long each will sit out of today's game.

Schmale goes over yesterday's film. There are some highlights, and some low points.

The players joke about their stupid mistakes, but Battista's not happy. He knows how important today's game with No. 3 Michigan-Dearborn is, and will not have his players unprepared.

Battista got a late start to his hockey career, and didn't lace up his first pair of skates until age ten. After his first time on ice, he vowed, "never to do it again." That wouldn't last long. After attending stick night at a Penguins game, Battista slowly began adding skating to his daily routine.

"I am convinced to this day the zamboni guy put the money in his pocket, but we didn't care" Battista said. "There were no coaches, no refs. If somebody scored you just pulled the puck out of the net and kept playing."

Battista opens the weight room where the players stretch. The team makes their customary stretching noises, that echo into the offices where Battista is soon greeted by a recruit. The recruit's father works at Penn State, and has talked to Battista before. The three meet in the coach's office for 25 minutes.

As they talk, the autographed memorabilia Battista has accumulated surrounds his office. He's most proud of the autographed Team USA Jersey from the 2003 World University Games, which he coached, but the personalized Joe Paterno and Mario Lemieux autographs sit prominently.

Recruiting is fun for Battista, although it's challenging. The Icers don't have the staffs varsity teams do, so most recruiting is done by phone and e-mail.

Growing up outside Pittsburgh, Penn State was the popular school in the 1980s when Battista was graduating high school. Many of today's players say they chose Penn State because of its combination of academics and athletics. Battista used the same logic.

He missed hockey according to his father, and become heavily involved with the Icers. While he was playing, and was also an original Lion Ambassador, while majoring in marketing. Battista soon become president of the hockey association and began an ongoing fight to have the Icers elevated to varsity status.

It's getting late, and that back treatment has no chance. Battista changes into his suit, takes Brianna, and heads to the arena.

The first fan he sees says hi, and follows that with, "Let's try not to spot them two today." Battista kindly replies, "I'm not out there," and continues.

The walk to the arena is a time to compose his thoughts and think about today's game.

It's a walk Battista has made hundreds of times, from the East Area Locker Room to the Greenberg Ice Pavilion, and although he still loves what he does, that same spark isn't always there.

He said those butterflies and pre-game jitters don't come as often nowadays -- he is in his 17th year as coach, after all -- but that may be one of the few things that has changed. The Icers are still a club team fighting for respect.

That is nothing new.

In 1987, the Icers were close to becoming a varsity team. They were heavily involved in talks with the Mid Atlantic Conference but when Penn State made the move to the Big Ten, those plans were dashed, according to Battista. He says the Icers were the first to go, as scholarship money had to be split evenly among genders.

While Battista has started a very successful Icers endowment fund, that money is used to cover in-house expenses. Their most recent purchase was new video equipment, which is used daily by the coaching staff.

It's 16 minutes before game time and the players are finishing getting dressed. From the locker room, Battista meets his coaches and watches Michigan-Dearborn warm up. Their focus is on the goalie, while also wondering why opposing coach Josh Brandwene has penciled in his third line to start the game.

Battista will counter with his best, the red line -- reigning MVP Glenn Zuck and linemate Kevin Jaeger are thrilled when they get the news in the locker room.

The players sit in front of their lockers, with all eyes focused on Battista. He makes a point to remind the guys how important it is to make quick shifts and escape Dearborn's trap with defensive passes. After a short speech, he leaves and allows the players to get fired up.

Battista waits outside, and follows the players onto the ice.

Coaching is what Battista loves, but how much longer he will continue is the question. He admits his daily routine is taking a toll on him. Aside from balancing three young children at home, he has 25 big kids who regard him as a father figure. He loves Penn State and the opportunities it's given him, but still thinks about coaching a Div. I program, even if it's not Penn State. Battista admits he's had other offers.

While his dream is realistically $30 million away, Battista continues walking the path of being the best club coach the Icers could ask for, as he works to add another national championships to the rafters at the Ice Pavilion.

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Games are tough for Battista. He's tired when Saturday's over, but is pleased with two "gut-check" wins over No. 3 Michigan-Dearborn. A short speech is given to the team in the locker room, before he meets with his coaching staff to decide what players will be taken on the Thanksgiving trip to Indiana.

There is no rest.

Battista's youngest son Ryan, gets a hold of a stick and swings at whatever he sees. Heidi admits that, of their three children, Ryan has the best shot to do something involving hockey. Battista speaks with reporters, pats the players on the back as they leave the locker room dressed in suits -- in accordance with Battista's policy for all home games -- and breaths a sigh of relief.

It's been a tough weekend for Battista, and his back, but it's not over. He heads back to his office where he will watch film before finally going home.

Battista's back still hurts, but something this small is not going to slow him down. Battista has been fighting the bumps and bruises for nearly 20 years. Some are physical, like the one on his lower back, and some are more emotional, like the struggle to elevate his team to Div. I status.

But Joe Battista is not going to stop.