The consensus among the Penn State ACHA Division I Icers is that their performance on the power play has been sub-par for most of the season. This weekend, they agreed that it was anything but.

Through the first 16 games, the Icers capitalized on power play opportunities just 15 percent of the time (25 for 167).

But in the wins against Delaware last Friday and Saturday, the power play went from sputtering jalopy to performing like a well-oiled machine, converting 8 of its 22 attempts for a success rate of 36 percent.

Even usually unsatisfied head coach Scott Balboni couldn't help but be pleased with the unit's solid showing.

"I will say that our power play played pretty well. We worked the puck well and did what we were supposed to," he said after Saturday's 10-3 rout of the Blue Hens.

"We're starting to move the puck better and we're starting to work together better as a unit. I certainly think we still have some things to work on, but this was a sign that it's starting to look like what it should."

While the power play was clicking during both victories, it was exceptionally impressive during Saturday's game when it tallied six goals on 13 chances.

"It seems that whatever we had set up particularly worked for us," junior forward Matt Schwartz said.

It has been an up-and-down journey for No. 3 Penn State's power play as it has attempted to return to last season's form.

At the beginning of the year, the Icers toyed with the unit, changing both the personnel and strategy. Those alterations did not pan out as they resulted in only 14 goals in the first 108 opportunities.

The week following their sweep of then-No. 4 Ohio University saw the Icers return to the lineup and philosophy that made the power play better in 2005-06.

While the changes weren't drastic, they did make a difference.

Junior forward Nate Obringer joined the existing unit of sophomore forwards Luke DeLorenzo and Frank Berry, along with junior defender Keith Jordan and senior forward Mike McMullen. The addition of Obringer added another left-handed shot and more offensive firepower to the top power play line.

Penn State also resorted back from the umbrella strategy, which opened up the offensive zone, to the overload, which allowed the unit to suffocate defenses.

Since that switch, the Icers have scored 17 goals in their last 85 power plays and raised their success rate to 17.5 percent for the season.

"We were trying new thing like new formations, new personnel, and new unit [at the beginning of the year," sophomore forward Frank Berry said, "and now I think its finally get down to that we know how we play and we're working together well right now."