Any worries that the Lady Icers would be reeling as they came into their conference opener this weekend were a distant afterthought once the puck dropped.

The No. 15 Penn State Lady Icers (3-2, 2-0 ECWHL), behind a stingy defense and an unrelenting offensive attack, dominated both games with the No. 8 North County Saints (0-3, 0-3) at the Greenberg Ice Pavilion, winning 4-1 Saturday and 9-2 yesterday.

After back-to-back lopsided losses to the Washington Lady Capitals U-19 team last week, head coach Michael Brinton and his staff knew that their team needed to make some changes.

"We came into practice this week with a lot of work to do, especially in the defensive end," Brinton said.

His team's hard work showed on the ice as the Lady Icers had a distinct advantage in shots and scoring chances over both games.

The first game on Saturday night began on the wrong note for Penn State. North County pounced on some sloppy passing and scored on their second shot of the game, less than three minutes in. But Lady Icers goalie Gena Goldbaum didn't let the goal get to her.

"I couldn't let it bother me," Goldbaum said. "When you're a goalie, you need to get up and be prepared. We've been working hard, and I needed to keep my head in the game."

Goldbaum rebounded after allowing the goal and stopped every shot that came her way, eventually finishing with 24 saves on 25 shots.

It didn't take long for the Lady Icers to tie the game back up. Freshman sensation Jessica Waldron scored her seventh goal of the season on an assist from captain Ashleigh Kinder.

Kinder scored the go-ahead and eventual game-winning goal at the 6:33 mark of the second period. Waldron and Allison Lasser both added insurance goals in the third that secured a win and assured a .500 record for the Lady Icers.

"We practiced this week on defense and communication," Waldron said. "We did a good job of firing each other up."

"I am proud of our defense," assistant coach Chadd Collin added. "They really played with some aggression tonight. Let's see if we can carry it over to tomorrow."

The coaching staff's hopes were realized yesterday morning as the Lady Icers scored seven goals in the first period and strolled to an impressive 9-2 victory. Waldron again led the team in scoring with five points, including a hat trick and two assists. Kinder also had five points, with a goal in the first period and four assists.

In net, sophomore Melanie Kleinmann gave Gena Goldbaum a rest and played a solid game, stopping 32 of 34 shots.

With the win, Penn State moved to 3-2 for the season and into a three-way tie for first place in the ECWHL. They will look to improve this week during practice and continue their winning ways on the road at No. 7 Massachusetts-Amherst.

"It was nice to get some goals on the board, but we still have work to do," Brinton said. "We have a tough road game coming up, and we need to start working. Our line changes are sloppy, and we need to continue work in the defensive end."