The Penn State Lady Icers are going to be shorthanded this weekend, well before the puck drops. For the first time all season, the usually healthy squad has experienced the nasty bite of the injury bug as goaltender Genna Goldbaum and forward Lauren Johnston are not expected to play.

Playoff implications will be on the line, as the Bates College Bobcats (3-2, 2-1 ECWHL) will host Penn State at Underhill Arena in Lewiston, Maine, at 9 tonight and at 2 p.m. tomorrow.

Goldbaum suffered a strained hamstring in last Friday's loss to Rhode Island, while Johnston, Penn State's third leading scorer, was injured during the same series when the puck deflected off her foot. In addition, several players have been battling with the flu, and it remains to be seen if anyone else will be forced to sit.

The timing of these injuries could not be worse for the No. 12 Lady Icers (9-8, 3-5 ECWHL) as they face another must-win situation against an opponent they know very little about.

Currently, the Lady Icers hold a slim, one-game lead over the Bobcats for the fourth and final playoff spot in the ECWHL. A sweep of Bates this weekend and a solid performance at the University of Buffalo in two weeks could solidify a birth for Penn State, which is already in prime position for the ACHA Nationals in March.

Lady Icers head coach Michael Brinton is focused on preparing his team for the task at hand, but he can't help to look into the future.

"These are must-win games for us. We need to win three, if not all four, of our remaining league games if we want to have a shot at the playoffs. We know we need to win, and we are not taking this weekend for granted," Brinton said.

"Its time to do or die -- we have to win out," forward Jessica Waldron added.

To secure a spot in the ECWHL playoffs, Penn State will need to put forth a better effort than last weekend's performance against Rhode Island. In the two-game series, the Lady Icers' offense was held to just 24 shots and three goals. A more alarming statistic was that their stingy defense surrendered 113 shots and 24 goals.

"We've been working this week on defensive zone coverage, trying to fix some deficiencies uncovered last weekend. We've also worked on fundamentals, like shooting and basic passing," Brinton said.

The swagger that the Lady Icers had donned after capturing first place in the Southeast Region has been replaced by uncertainty following the losses to the Lady Rams. But there is no denying this team's ability to take a punch and pull itself off the canvas. And thanks to veteran leadership, there is no doubt that Penn State will be all business when game time comes.

"Last weekend was a huge blow to our team's self-esteem," Captain Ashleigh Kinder said. "I hope that we are able to come out with positive attitudes and do everything we can to get our ego back. We need to play with nothing to lose and everything to prove."