Kevin Jaeger has gone through this so much in his Icer career, you'd think he'd be used to it by now.

Think again.

The senior captain has proven to be tougher than expected for a little guy throughout his years at Penn State. But there comes a time when the bumps and bruises he's taken become redundant -- even for him.

"It's funny. I only yell at the ref, but if I yelled back at every player that said something to me, I'd probably be yelling every second of the game," Jaeger said.

There's no question that teams in the ACHA are well aware of Jaeger's goal-scoring ability, knowing that in a close game, his mere presence garners much attention.

On Friday, Jaeger moved into a second-place tie on the Icers all-time goal-scoring list, giving him a total of 124, tying him with former teammate Glenn Zuck.

But not without a cost.

Jaeger scored the last of six Icers goals in a 6-0 win Friday night against Delaware. The goal was his first in 2005 primarily due to playing overseas at the World University Games in Austria. It seemed as if he was going to score earlier in the game, if not for some "special" attention from a few Blue Hen players.

"I try not to dive too much, but it is a part of the game. If everybody's going to hook me and stick me, and if the referee isn't going to call it unless I fall, I think that's the referee's fault," Jaeger said.

"Cause every time I seem to skate around the ice, there's a stick somewhere poking," he said.

The Icers overcame a physical weekend to sweep Delaware, but Jaeger felt as if more could have been accomplished.

"We scored 12 goals this weekend, but it still seems like the puck's not bouncing our way much," Jaeger said.

Or maybe not his way in particular.

Saturday's game was a standing-room-only affair in Delaware's penalty box as the Blue Hens committed 18 penalties, many because of what Jaeger deemed intentional cheap shots, aimed at him and his teammates.

"At the end of the game, I felt that every time I was out there I was gonna get another stick," Jaeger said. "I really felt like I was going to get hurt out there [and] that's not the type of hockey I play."

He's right. His game is suited to more of a fast-paced, catch-me-if-you-can-in-the open-ice type of style.

And for the first three weeks of this year, that's how he was used to playing in the World University Games.

The play of European hockey differs much from the U.S. style. Foreign-born hockey players generally don't welcome the physical nature of hockey in the states. Instead of going straight at a player, they'd prefer to use speed and maneuver around.

And that type of style now has Jaeger only six goals away from becoming the most prolific goal-scorer in Icers history.

But although he is the team's best scoring threat, his coach feels that because of his ability to put the puck in the net, other aspects of his game are overlooked.

"I've always said he's one of the most underrated defensive players and penalty killers that we have," Icers coach Joe Battista said.

Often times when an Icers opponent is on a power play, Battista will use Jaeger's quickness on defense to help kill off crucial penalties.

As for the goals, Jaeger will have one more home weekend as an Icer before nationals to climb closer to the record.

"He'll always be known for his goal-scoring, but in my mind as a coach, he'll always be known as one of the best two-way players we've ever had," Battista said.