It's rare when a 1-1 showing in a tournament can set the tone for the rest of a season, but the Penn State ACHA Division I Icers are currently in that position.
In the next four weekends, the Icers will take on four top-10 teams, including the nation's top-ranked squad. By the end of the upcoming stretch, the Icers will have a clear idea of where they stand in terms of their national title hopes. Showdowns against No. 1 Illinois, No. 9 Rhode Island, at No. 7 Liberty and home against No. 4 Delaware will go a long way in sorting out the ACHA's top team.
The team has its winter break schedule to thank for preparing it for the four biggest weekends of the season so far. The Icers competed in the Salem State Holiday Tournament the weekend after Christmas and finished third out of four teams.
That result doesn't sound impressive at first, but Penn State competed as the only club hockey team in a field of NCAA members.
The Icers lost by one goal to the host Salem State Vikings in the first game, a contest in which Penn State led until late in the second period. In the consolation game, Penn State destroyed Salve Regina, scoring more goals against the Seahawks than they had against all but two teams all season.
Penn State was more than competitive in the tournament but didn't play over its head against NCAA opponents. The depth and talent the Icers have allowed them to send a message to the scholarship programs they played and, in Salve Regina's case, beat. Penn State is the third-ranked team in the ACHA for a reason, and showed over winter break that upper-echelon club teams can play at the same level as some NCAA squads.
Granted, the two NCAA teams the Icers played in the tournament were Division III squads and Salve Regina has just two wins this season, but Penn State's showing in the tournament remains important in the team's growth, especially when entering a stretch of games as challenging as the one that lies ahead.
Knowing they came within one goal of knocking off a 7-4-1 NCAA team in Salem State on the road will give the Icers the confidence they need to perform well in the coming weeks.
Penn State assistant coach Bill Downey said the tournament forced the Icers to play their best, something the team's next four opponents will do as well.
"It doesn't matter who you're playing, you want to play your best and play up to your potential, and those teams definitely brought that out of us," Downey said of Salem State and Salve Regina after this weekend's sweep of No. 10 Ohio. "We have a tough road ahead, and if we're going to take shifts off or periods off it's going to hurt us, and the guys are starting to understand that more and more."
If this past weekend is any indication, Penn State is carrying its playing style against NCAA teams over to its traditional ACHA rivals. The Icers handled Ohio, leading to the first season sweep of the Bobcats in Penn State history.
The Icers will need to continue their strong play this weekend as they welcome the top-ranked Illini to the Greenberg Ice Pavilion.
Luckily, Penn State spent winter break preparing for the challenge.
