Most players have four years to do what Ryan Paradis is trying to do in two.

Two years to establish his role on the Penn State Icers.

Two years to learn coach Scott Balboni's systems.

And, most importantly, only half of the usual four years to try to win a national championship.

After spending his first two years at Elmira College, Paradis, now a senior, transferred to Penn State last year and joined the team, reuniting with former teammates John Conte and the now-graduated Kyle Mills.

"I just wasn't a big fan of Elmira. It wasn't for me," he said. "I didn't like the small school atmosphere, and I'd been in contact with Conte. I told him things weren't really working out. So I came down for a visit, and I was sold the first day I was here."

Before coming to Penn State, Paradis and Conte played together on the New Hampshire Monarchs of the Eastern Junior Hockey League (EJHL).

Although Balboni said the team knew about Paradis and wanted him to come to Penn State originally, the Rochester, N.H., native decided not to start his collegiate career with the Icers.

But after hearing Paradis was unhappy with his situation at Elmira, Conte said he tried to help Paradis "quite a bit," getting together video for the Penn State coaches from their days together in New Hampshire.

"I thought from the start it'd be a good fit for him," Conte said, "so I told him he should look into it, and I think he's been a real good fit for this team from the day he got here."

In his first year with the team last year, Paradis played in 41 games, recording 19 assists and scoring 16 goals, including two game-winners.

He even showed his versatility by playing on special teams, scoring twice on the power play and once while his team was shorthanded.

This year, Paradis, who has played both center and wing for Penn State, continues to play on the power play, while also helping to fight off power plays on the team's penalty kill unit.

"He's a guy who plays a lot of roles for us," Balboni said. "And we know exactly what we can expect from him. Sure, we rely on him for his offensive production, but on the same note, we rely on him for a lot of key defensive situations, too."

While Paradis' path to the Icers was not the most routine, it's not unheard of.

There have been a number of athletes who have joined the Icers for their junior season, Balboni said, especially because of Penn State's system, which requires students to have a certain number of credits before transferring.

But in Paradis' case, the decision to earn a sufficient amount of credits and transfer down to Penn State for his final two years of school has left no regrets.

"It's been nothing but a good time, on and off the ice," he said. "The atmosphere here is definitely more for me, and I wouldn't trade my decision for the world."