Whenever Penn State and Ohio get together on the ice, it's always a tough hockey game.

The No. 4 Bobcats (10-3-0 ACHA) visited the Greenberg Ice Pavilion this weekend for two games against the No. 3 Penn State ACHA Division I Icers (7-2-0, 7-1-0), and after six periods of back-and-forth play, it was Penn State that came out on top.

The Icers swept the weekend series, winning Friday night's game 1-0 and Saturday afternoon's contest 3-1.

Penn State head coach Scott Balboni knew the significance of these games in the standings, so he was pleased when his team came away with two victories.

"It's a great boost for us," he said. "We're a young team, so any time we can get big wins against talented teams it's important."

Friday's game was scoreless through almost 53 minutes of game time, with both teams missing their share of scoring opportunities.

Icers goalie Nick Signet had to make a save on an Ohio short-handed breakaway early in the first period.

Penn State responded with a couple flurries in front of the Bobcats' net, but was unable to put the puck past goalie Ryan Baksh. The second period was more of the same, as the Icers got consistent pressure, but remained without a goal.

It wasn't until the third period, with 7:24 remaining, that Icers forward Mike McMullen broke the game open.

"I was looking to make a play and maybe have a pass backdoor or something," he said. "But their defense just bent back in and gave me room, so I just kept going in and wanted to get a good shot off."

His top-shelf wrist shot was the first goal of the game. It was all Penn State would need for the 1-0 victory, as Signet got the shutout, his second of the season.

"I felt good the whole game," Signet said.

"I've been seeing the puck really well and I just feel like I'm in a groove right now. Everything is just falling together, and even the bounces seem to be going my way."

On Saturday, it was Ohio that took the lead first. Bobcats center Dave Fitzgerald deflected a shot from the point that beat Signet for the 1-0 lead midway through the first period.

Ohio took that lead into the first intermission, but Penn State responded in the second period.

With 11:45 remaining, Nate Obringer scored after getting a pass from Lukas DeLorenzo in front of the net.

"I saw [DeLorenzo] get it and I told him I was there. When we communicate we usually know where each other are. He made a nice pass," Obringer said.

The score was tied going into the final period, but it didn't take Penn State long to change that. Less than a minute into the third, Brandon Rubeo put the Icers in front for the first time in the game. The fast start was something the Icers had talked about before coming back on the ice.

"In the first shift of the third period we wanted to come out flying and get that goal right off the bat," Rubeo said.

With time winding down, Jaime Zimmel added an empty-net goal to finish off the 3-1 victory.

Balboni said that Penn State's performances this weekend should help the team as it goes forward this year.

"As a young team, this was a great weekend with two big wins for us," he said.