A flyer posted outside the Penn State ACHA Division I Icers' locker room reads, "We take the shortest route to the puck and arrive in ill humor."

The quote is from NHL legend Bobby Clarke and very accurately described the style of hockey the No. 4 Icers (7-4-2) took part in this weekend against No. 2 Ohio University (14-2-1).

The Icers split the weekend with the Bobcats, dropping a controversial 1-0 game Friday night, then picking up a 5-4 victory in a roller coaster-ride type win on Saturday.

"We just go from one war to the next -- what a great weekend of hockey," head coach Joe Battista said in reference to their schedule of top-10 teams.

Senior captain Brett Wilson exemplified Clarke's words and the feel of the weekend when, on Saturday, right after the Icers took a 4-3 lead, he made a game-changing hit. Flying off the bench, Wilson went on the forecheck at full speed and proceeded to level an unsuspecting Ohio player. The crowd and Icers' bench went wild, after what Battista said could have been a turning point in the game.

Inconsistent officiating led to a penalty-filled game Saturday. With 21 penalties in all, the game was a special-teams extravaganza as Ohio scored all four of its goals on the power play while the Icers totaled three on the man advantage and tacked on a shorthanded goal as well.

"I guess some people like that brand of hockey; I just think it ruins the flow of the game," Battista said.

That explosion on the power play could not have come at a better time for the Icers who had been struggling lately to score while up a man. While going 3-for-8 is not phenomenal, those three goals proved to be the difference in the game.

Late in the third period, with the score tied 4-4, the Icers were awarded their final power play of the night Just 15 seconds into the power play, the Icers capitalized. Senior Luke Walker ripped a shot from the point that was deflected in by freshman defenseman Andrew Magulick, who spent the game in front of the net on the power play.

"They have a great goalie over there, at Ohio, so just shoot the puck and crash the net," said freshman Luke DeLorenzo, who scored on both the power play and shorthanded in Saturday's win. "That's pretty much how the goals went in, nothing pretty, kind of all, you know, garbage goals but that's how it usually works."

The breakout game for the power play came after a low point Friday when the Icers were held scoreless by Ohio goalie Ryan Baksh.

"We lose because our power play stinks, period. Our power play is awful. We're [zero] for every big time we need a power play goal," Battista said after the disappointing loss Friday night.

Actually, if luck had fallen the Icers' way they would have tallied a power-play goal, and perhaps a win. Midway through the third period, senior Justin DePretis snapped a laser high and beat Baksh for a 1-0 lead.

However, the goal was waved off because the linesman saw the net was knocked off. The goal was erased and Ohio scored the game-winner with just more than three minutes remaining in the game.

According to Battista, an Ohio penalty killer intentionally kicked off the net and that it was only moved about a half of an inch. At that point it is the referee's decision on whether or not it moved far enough to affect the goal. Battista said the ruling should have been a goal or a delay of game penalty on Ohio, not just a face off in Ohio's zone.

The goal, and non-goal, disrupted a goalie dual between Baksh and junior Chris Matteo for the Icers. Both goalies made save after save, with Matteo making 29 and Baksh stopping 34.

Matteo played so well he got the nod to start Saturday's game as well, even though the Icers usually split the weekend between him and Paul Mammola. However, at the start of the third period Mammola was in net for Penn State as Battista and Matteo agreed that sitting the starter was the best decision for the team.

Mammola came in and made 16 saves, making all the big saves down the stretch with Ohio threatening to score.

"That's a tough situation to be in, to sit on the bench for two periods and be cold but Paul Mammola is clutch," DeLorenzo said. "I knew he was going to perform like that, I think everybody was confident when we saw No. 1 go between the pipes."