The Penn State women's gymnastics team missed Rec Hall.

The first word that comes to mind to describe the No. 1 Penn State ACHA Div. I Icers' (24-2) play in the Nittany Lion Invitational Tournament this weekend is smothering. After outscoring Western Michigan (12-15-1) and No. 15 Washington & Jefferson (14-9-1) by a total of 20-2, the Icers celebrated their 18th NLIT championship and fifth in as many years.

For the majority of the six-hour long dual fencing meet this weekend, Penn State fencers endured nothing more than a competitive practice.

If being the No. 1-ranked team in the nation was not significant, then losing that position certainly shouldn't matter either.

Traveling to the Midwest to face two quality teams in Ball State and Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne, the No. 9 Penn State Nittany Lions men's volleyball team (3-3) was trying to find its identity as a team but what they found were two physical team that were ready to play.

Finally, with only one event remaining in Saturday's dual meet, it appeared as though the Penn State women's swimming and diving team could breathe easy.

Penn State swimming and diving coach Bill Dorenkott saw something in his team's 125-118 loss to Pittsburgh on Saturday that he liked -- effort.

Sometimes things are not as they seem.

This weekend's three-game trip to Maryland didn't count in the league standings for the Lady Icers.

The Penn State women's indoor track team marched up to West Point, N.Y., looking to showcase its depth as a team.

"Defense wins games."

Michigan needed a win.

As defenseman Luke Walker's clearing attempt wrapped around the boards, junior forward Mike Carrano skated just inside his own blueline, collecting the puck and in one motion backhanded a pass to Kevin Jaeger who was skating through center ice.

They shied away naming names, but the finger-pointing was still there. Jan Jagla and freshman Marlon Smith both saw the same thing in Penn State's loss to Michigan on Saturday. At least one of their teammates was not running smoothly with the offensive plays, and there was nothing Jagla or Smith could do about it.

This is the kind of game that scares good teams. The kind of game that sneaks up on them. The kind of game that separates the good from the not so good.

DeWitt Driscoll had no time to digest his overtime loss to Illinois' Michael Martin Friday night at Rec Hall.

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For the next two months in the HUB-Robeson Gallery, everything will be black and white when artists show their work during a show titled Forms in Black and White.

It was date night for the baby boomers at the Bryce Jordan Center last night as Sarah Brightman's Harem World Tour took over the arena. The diva was out in full force with a 15-piece band, eight belly dancers and no fewer than nine costume changes.