It was like a scene out of a movie.
A forward racing down the ice, one defenseman behind him and only the goalie in front.
The puck on his stick, all the player has to do is just make the move that could give him an opening.
One of the Penn State Icers lifted the puck over the goalie's shoulder Tuesday.
Only he wasn't greeted with sirens or a cheering crowd.
Instead it was a whistle, and it was back to practice.
Penn State coach Scott Balboni did the drill at the end of practice to work on breakaways as well as conditioning in preparation for this weekend's showdown with No. 7 Rhode Island.
"We're gonna play as up-tempo as we can possibly play up there," Balboni said. "We wanna transition on them. We wanna keep the pressure on them all night long and keep it away from us. So we're gonna play as up-tempo as they'll certainly let us play."
Balboni said he also custom designs the conditioning for a weekend dependent on the team and the rink the Icers will see, including integrating the gameplan into practices.
So after the Rhode Island film session, this week has been not just about playing up-tempo but also being quick in general because some of the players said the Rams tend to play a physical, slow-down, hacking style.
"We know we need to be quick, fast and be on our toes at all times," junior forward Tim O'Brien said.
"We can't go in there and play like we've been playing the last couple of weekends because we'll get blown out of their rink. They'll sweep us, and we won't even compete with them if we show up like we've been showing up."
But being able to successfully push the issue offensively might add another dimension to an Icers' offensive attack that has found its stride in the last three weeks. The Icers scored 11 goals in two games last weekend against Navy and 39 during their six-game win streak.
Playing a run-and-gun style has not been a mainstay of the Icers' offensive gameplan during the first few weeks of the season.
It could definitely be challenging considering the few healthy bodies Penn State has left, especially at forward.
But the drill isn't just about the offense.
Balboni said the team doesn't usually spring guys for breakaways with outlet passes out of their own zone -- he said the drill was more about being under constant pressure, making a move and shooting under pressure. It's a drill which O'Brien and Daley hope will help the team neutralize Rhode Island's style of play.
"I think he just wants an up-tempo weekend all together," sophomore forward Paul Daley said. "He wants to come out and skate hard in practice because it's gonna be a battle this weekend."
