For a good number of college students, Friday nights represent the opportunity to enjoy the company of friends or beverages after a long week of classes -- if in fact they go to class.

For other college students, like the members of the Penn State ACHA Division I Icers, Friday nights mean game time.

But recently the No. 2 Icers (6-2-1) have come out flat for their traditional Friday night games. The team has gone winless in its last three Friday contests, two of which have been on Penn State's home ice at the Greenberg Ice Pavilion.

The Icers lost to St. Clair College 6-3 on the road in Ontario, Canada, on Oct. 14. The following Friday, No. 10 Arizona State flew into State College and defeated the Icers 4-2. This past Friday, the Icers and No. 17 Duquesne played to a 3-3 tie in the first of a two-game, home-and-home series.

After each of these three games, however, the Icers have rebounded with Saturday or Sunday afternoon wins.

The loss in Ontario was coupled with a 4-2 Icers win against the very same St. Clair team the next day. The afternoon following their Friday night loss, the Icers defeated the Sun Devils, 5-1. After tying Duquesne, the Icers traveled to Pittsburgh on Sunday and beat the Dukes, 7-4.

"It's a good test of what kind of resiliency we have as a team. That's a positive to look at. The fact that we keep bouncing back and playing really well after games that we didn't play so well," junior goalie Chris Matteo said.

"But also at the same time, it kind of makes you realize that we really have to do something about our Friday night games. We really have to, as a team, better prepare ourselves to come and set the precedent on a Friday night."

After the series against Arizona State, Icers head coach Joe Battista was puzzled regarding the performance of this team on Friday nights.

"On the one hand, as a coaching staff, we do a good job of making adjustments. On the other hand, I can't understand why two Fridays in a row now we've been flat," Battista said. "I'm going to have to get out the whoopin' stick and knock a few guys around Friday night before the game so we get things rolling."

With a team that features 13 freshmen, Matteo thinks it is the job of the veterans to make sure younger players know that the Icers can be beaten on any given night, including Fridays.

"It's definitely not a chemistry issue why we're coming out flat on a Friday night," Matteo said. "It's just preparation, lack of respect for our opponent. And that comes from our veteran leadership. These guys [the freshmen] have to know that no game in this league is ever going to be a pushover."

While the Icers have been splitting weekend games, Battista has been looking for some freshmen to stand out.

"We have a lot of guys you can throw a blanket over. They all want to be in the lineup but none of them are distinguishing themselves enough to be in the lineup on a consistent basis," Battista said after the tie against Duquesne. "They're all used to playing a lot so when they're in a situation where they're in the lineup one game and out of the lineup the next one, it becomes in their minds a confidence issue."

Battista hoped changes this week in practice would help to reverse the Icers' Friday night fortunes.

"We haven't spent enough time teaching these guys concepts and systems. We gotta change," Battista said. "We gotta get them all on the same page."

With two games against No. 4 Rhode Island on the schedule this weekend -- the first on a Friday night -- the Icers hope to get on the same page and end the trend of splitting games.

"Absolutely, we definitely have to start sweeping again," freshman forward Luke DeLorenzo said. "That's the only way to get better week in and week out."