Fort Collins, Colo. is a small college town nestled 60 miles north of Denver, and it is known, as is much of the state, for its breathtaking views of the Rocky Mountains. The ACHA Division II Penn State Ice Lions are more than giddy to be there.

But they don't have time to admire the view, as they will spend a week at Colorado State University because Fort Collins is home to the 2007 ACHA Div. II National Championship.

A month has gone by since they were announced as an automatic seed, and two weeks after its heartbreaking loss to Stony Brook in the SECHL championship game, Penn State and 15 other teams will finally do battle in the cold shadows of the snow-capped Rockies.

Penn State starts its tournament today at 3:30 p.m. against Michigan in round-robin play.

The Ice Lions currently sit as the No. 2 seed in Group B behind Eastern Washington, and are in the same pool as Michigan and Ohio State. By Saturday, 16 teams will be dwindled to four. The four best records in pool play will advance to the semifinals. If the Ice Lions were to advance, they would play the Pool D champion Saturday morning and then play the championship later that day.

The Ice Lions are one of four SECHL teams to make the field. NYU is the No. 4 seed in Pool D, Siena is third in Pool C, and Stony Brook, playing its last tournament in Div. II is top seed in Pool A. The Seawolves will be Div. I next season.

Penn State head coach Pat Fung said his team was excited to finally be at nationals and is ready to play.

He also said he liked the way the team played in a game two weeks ago, despite the loss in the playoffs.

"We made very few mistakes," Fung said. "Unfortunately the few mistakes we did make we got scored on."

The team flew out to Colorado on Monday and skated afterward to get acclimated. Like every other team in the tournament, with the exception of Colorado, the Ice Lions will have to deal with the high altitude. For some teams, it can be problematic but Fung dismissed it, saying that Penn State was in good shape and that the thin air only becomes a factor near the end of shifts and in the third period when players are tired.

Fung also said the extra day of rest was a good thing, especially because the team had a strong battle with the flu bug. He said that he was lucky to have half the team at any given practice last week because of the flu, and also that the guys who still have it are actually in one room together, in the hopes that it will stop spreading.

"Knowing we have a couple of guys lagging recently because of the flu, the extra day's rest helps," Fung said.

Penn State will need it going against a Michigan team that went 16-9-3 overall despite a 4-7-3 record in the Great Midwest Hockey League, a league that Fung called the best in the country at the Div. II level.

But Fung is encouraged by the Ice Lions' resolve.

The team's exploits during its run from November on are well known, but what has really stuck out to him the most is how they have been able to stay away from all distractions and have full focus on their studies and the team's goal of being the national champ.

This time of year, that focus is necessary to reach the summit, and in the Rockies, every bit helps.