This is it.

This weekend's two-game series against visiting Rhode Island will determine whether the Penn State Lady Icers, owners of two straight trips to the ACHA national tournament, make a third straight appearance.

Penn State and Rhode Island square off tonight at 9:15 and tomorrow at 3:15 p.m. at the Greenberg Ice Pavilion.

At least one win this weekend would help solidify the Lady Icers' hold on a tournament berth. They are currently ranked No. 12 in the ACHA coaches poll; only the top 12 get invites to the national tournament in East Lansing, Mich., in March.

Penn State Lady Icers coach Chris Whittemore said he doesn't know what to expect from his team this weekend.

"They're working hard but to go to nationals and beat a team like this they have to be committed," Whittemore said.

Whittemore was vague in saying what that commitment involved, except that he doesn't know whether his team has that commitment yet.

Sophomore defenseman Stephanie Feyock said her teammates have pointed to this series since mid-November, when URI swept a two-game series with the Lady Icers in Kingston, R.I.

"These [recent] weeks have been in preparation for these games now," Feyock said.

The Lady Icers come in winners of three straight games.

Rhode Island (15-3-1) is ranked first in the East and No. 2 nationally as of yesterday. That will likely change today, however, when the ACHA releases its third rankings of the season.

Rhode Island has six of the seven top scorers in the East, led by the league's two top guns, freshman forward Karen Hawes (15 goals, 14 assists, 29 points) and junior forward Jennifer Wallace (8-19-27).

The key to beating URI, Feyock said, will be handling the Rams' forecheck.

"We know this team is not unbeatable," Feyock said. "It's just a matter of preparing specifically for this team and becoming more confident."

Whittemore, like Feyock, also feels the Lady Icers have the ability to gain points out of this weekend.

"Looking at the game film from the last time we met, we can play with them," Whittemore said. "They may be a little more talented and a little deeper than we are but we can beat them -- but the girls have to believe that."

In addition to helping shake out the national and regional rankings the series also will help determine the inaugural regular-season champion of the first-year Eastern Collegiate Women's Hockey League championship.

Friday's game will count in the league standings; Saturday's game will not.

"We're looking for a chance at the ECWHL [title]," Feyock said.

--By Sean Smyth