A team with 13 freshmen and 14 total new players has nearly seen it all after its first season.

The No. 2 Penn State ACHA Division I Icers had an improbable title run at the front end of spring break, with the young team falling in the championship game 3-1 to Rhode Island.

While the Icers would have liked to send their eight seniors off with a title, the experience the younger players on the team gained through their first season could help the team return to the championship in the future -- and be prepared to bring home the title.

Icers' coach Joe Battista cited FightOnState's color commentator John Mulhern, who asked, "Is that going to be Penn State in a year or two?"

"Well it could be," Battista said. "Rhode Island has been the younger team, and they matured. They're an older, more mature team, and it paid off."

The Icers have a strong core of underclassmen that have had to mature a lot during the Icers' up-and-down season. With tough losses coming against teams like Ohio and the eventual national champs in the regular season, the team should be well-prepared for anything.

"I know it hurts now, but you have to focus on what we've accomplished," Battista said.

The Icers knocked off Division I Robert Morris early in the season and, after a sputter in mid-fall, went on to collect a 17-game winning streak. That streak included a sweep of the East-West Showcase in Michigan during Thanksgiving break and a sweep of the Arizona Desert Classic during winter break.

"Even though we had 14 new guys on the team -- half the team was brand new -- we only had nine upperclassmen on this team and we made all the way to the national championship game and came within 58 seconds of getting to overtime," Battista said. "I know it hurts now, but you just gotta focus on the positive."

The positive for the Icers is that they have a strong core of scoring and defense coming back. Their leading scorer, Luke DeLorenzo, was a freshman, as was linemate Frank Berry. Mike McMullen, the other forward on the Icers' top line, will also return as one of the team's few seniors for next season.

Defensively, while the Icers will lose steady players like Brendan Martin and Matt Wallace, a solid group of defensemen with big-game experience will return. Also, while the team loses one of its starting goaltenders in Paul Mammola, junior Chris Matteo will return with a lot of starting experience. Matteo showed up big in the championships, recording two shutouts.

"After this, we'll be that much better, and more experienced," DeLorenzo said. "Of course we were disappointed we lost, but we're excited about getting back next year -- we're excited about a solid core players."

DeLorenzo also noted that such a tight-knit group, which already had so many young players that had gone through this season together, should become even closer.

"Even though some of the bounces didn't quite go our way most of the season, the younger guys can see how they can change a game," DeLorenzo said. "Like when I hit the post, and the Justin [DePretis] hit it in the championship. I don't want to be cliché, but it is a game of inches, and once bounce can determine a national championship."

For a team with so many young players, just reaching the finals will not be enough. If this season has been any indication, the outlook is good that the core group of young players can add to Penn State's national championships.

"I think in the end, in the future this team is going to make things happen," Battista said.