Four years ago Joe Battista tried to get Paul Mammola to be the feature goaltender for the Penn State ACHA Div. I Icers. "Coach I appreciate it, but I want to play Division I hockey," Mammola said at the time.

A lot has changed since then.

Since that time, the Icers have added three more championship banners to the rafters, sophomore Chris Matteo has come on strongly in net, and Mammola didn't have the type of career he envisioned having at UMass Lowell.

And then the phone rang.

"I actually called Battista," Mammola said.

After a freshman season in which Mammola saw more of the pine rather than the ice at Umass Lowell, he ventured to see if a transfer could occur.

Fast-forward to Oct. 8, 2004, opening weekend for the Icers. Mammola debuts in net against West Chester, and Matteo starts the following day against Towson.

Meet M&M.

Mammola (Big M) is 6-foot-3, 210 pounds and takes up most of the net. Conventional wisdom says he wouldn't have to move around much to stop pucks, but he disagrees. "Most would assume that, but I like to be more active, get out of the net and play the puck," Mammola said.

In the short time that he has been with the Icers, Mammola has developed a good relationship with Matteo. "The kid is phenomenal and we have such similar personalities ... it's really uncanny," he said.

The newcomer hasn't memorized all his teammates' numbers yet, but he isn't worried because he knows that comes with time, besides he has Matteo, little M.

Matteo uses all 5-foot-9, 166 pounds of his frame to stop opposing teams from scoring between the pipes. But Matteo has made a transition of his own this past summer. Matteo, who in the past has been what they call in the business "a reactionary goalie," one who stays deep in his net, moving from side-to-side, splitting and flopping all around, felt he needed a change.

He's recently switched his style to what he calls a blocking goalie, one who is better equipped to handle second-chance shots and isn't so sporadic. So in essence, both goalies have altered their games in one way or another. One geographically and one technically.

So when both goaltenders work extremely hard on their games and neither one is deemed a permanent starter, how does that effect their chemistry?

It doesn't.

"Anytime you can play at college level and be fortunate enough to split the time with a goalie of Mammola's caliber, it's phenomenal," Matteo said. And who would argue to this point?

The Icers are undefeated (5-0) and neither goaltender has given up more than three goals in any game. Both are coming off arguably their best performances in this young season. Mammola stopped 32 out of 34 shots on goal last Friday against a tough Saint Clair College squad. Matteo followed up with 29 saves of his own the following day against Saint Clair.

The Icers could go through the entire season without an "official" starting goalie. But it's OK with the net minders, just as long as the relationship isn't tampered with.

"I think Matteo and I could become really good friends in the next couple of years," Mammola said.