Forget about the 7-0 start and the familiar quotes like "we don't overlook anyone on the schedule." Sure, the attitude and performance of the No.2 Penn State ACHA Div I. Icers doesn't indicate that they've looked past any teams in this young season.

But if you think the Icers didn't mark off Oct. 29 and 30 -- a rematch with No. 1 Ohio University -- on their calendars when this year's schedule was released, you're highly mistaken.

"Every practice, there is some type of relationship to OU ... even if it's three weeks before we play them, everybody is always thinking about them," senior forward Kevin Jaeger said.

The Icers (7-0) finished with a 35-3 record last year. Now I know what you're thinking, that exceptional right? It is.

But when all three of those loses come against the same team, and when that same team denies you of winning your fifth championship in as many years, there is definitely revenge on the brain -- whether the Icers admit it or not.

"OU is just one of those teams, that, it's just the greatest feeling to beat them," Jaeger said.

On the other end of that spectrum, when you lose, it stings like the first time you're introduced to a bumblebee. And you never want to feel that pain again.

"Last year, we came so close, worked so hard and this is the team that denied us a National Championship," coach Joe Battista said.

It's simply not that the Icers lost in the championship game to the Bobcats, it's the manner in which it occurred. The Icers had a 2-0 lead after the first period and a 2-1 advantage leading into the final 20 minutes.

But they couldn't seal the deal.

Senior defenseman Joe Maglaque says he tries not to think about that game when the thought enters his mind.

Who would?

But seniors like Maglaque and Jaeger know that even though the season is still in its infancy stages, this weekend's games will tell if the Icers are legitimately ready to make another run at the title.

"This is a test to see where we're at ... if we beat them it's good for us and if we lose it shows we got some work to do," Jaeger said.

So when a coach enters the season worried about a drop off in goal production -- and rightfully so considering he lost three of his top five scorers from a year ago -- he's not talking about games 1-7. And when he's still bothered about defensive gap-pairings and too many breakaway opportunities rendered following a 13-1 rout of Drexel, he's not looking ahead to a school like Washington and Jefferson.

He knows his team won't get away with it against Ohio.

Maybe that's why Battista posted a flyer outside the Icers locker room that read "WE OU ONE" just to add a bit more motivation.

Like they need it.

The Icers will take a page out of the football team's playbook as they whiteout the first 1,100 fans that attend the game with a T-shirt that has the slogan imprinted on it.

"We're 7-0 and I think, emphasis on think, we've been playing well," Battista said.

We'll know just how well by the end of the weekend.