This weekend was an eye-opener.

For more than two months the Penn State Lady Icers anticipated getting a second shot at facing the University of Rhode Island, the same team that handed Penn State its first two losses of the season in mid-November.

The Lady Icers were especially psyched for the rematch because it would happen on their home turf, the Greenberg Ice Pavilion.

So much for that.

Instead of settling the score, the series -- Penn State suffered 6-1 and 2-1 losses -- proved Rhode Island is definitely the best team in the East, if not the nation.

It also showed the Lady Icers are a good team, but not on the level of Rhode Island.

The Lady Rams won about 60 percent of the weekend's faceoffs and continually outskated and outmuscled Penn State, a team that showed it was able to keep up with Rhode Island for brief stretches but not for an entire game.

Lady Icers coach Chris Whittemore didn't know what team he'd see on the ice Saturday after suffering a tough loss Friday.

"I knew we'd play better," Whittemore said. "It was just [a question of] what team would show up. I was a little worried about the psyche, the confidence level."

Instead of folding following the late collapse Friday, the Lady Icers (12-6-1) hung tough with the Lady Rams for the majority of Saturday's contest.

The Lady Rams held a 2-0 with less than three minutes left in the second period, following a Robin Rosselle score.

Penn State had scoring opportunities but wasn't able to convert. The passes were ill-timed, or short, or discombobulated -- either way, the Lady Icers just weren't able to put the puck in the net.

The dry spell came to an end with junior forward Katie King's goal 4:46 into the third, making it a one-goal game and giving the Lady Icers hope.

King's power play goal was the only score Penn State could get on six power plays in the two games.

The Lady Icers kept the pressure on URI goalie Lauren Meyer, but it went for naught, even after Penn State pulled goalie Tara Wheeler in the final 30 seconds.

Penn State jumped in front 13:03 into Friday's first period, with junior forward Kate Connolly poking a loose puck past Meyer.

The lead held up until 7:59 of the second period, when Karen Hawes softly flipped a shot over Wheeler.

Rhode Island took the lead for good eight minutes later on Heather Scherick's rebound-inspired goal.

Then came the third period, when the floodgates opened.

The Lady Rams scored four times, including three in the final 3:25 that sucked away any confidence Penn State held.

"Once we got down [Friday], especially when it got to 3-1, it sort of deflated us," Whittemore said. "We stopped playing."