In a wild one at Viking Arena in Upper Marion, PA, the #1 Penn State Icers
defeated the West Chester Golden Rams 12-6.  While this was Penn State's
worst defensive showing of the year, most of the goals came while head coach
Joe Battista was "experimenting" by putting forwards at defense, etc.
Battista was able to do this as the Icers held a 7-1 advantage over WCU after
the first period.  It was close early on (a 1-1 tie) before Penn State went
on another feeding frenzy at the 5:30 mark, scoring four goals in 3:59
(including two poer-play goals).  In all, Penn State score 9 unaswered goals,
and held a 10-1 lead late in the second before the Rams went on a frenzy of
their own, and it was 10-4 after two.  Each team scored twice in the third.
Eleven different players scored for the Icers, with Brad Russell pickup up
two.  Russell and Ross Cowan each had four assists (according to the Centre
Daily Times, anyway).
 
Scoring by periods:
 
                1       2       3       T
#1 PENN STATE   7       3       2      12
West Chester    1       3       2       6
 
(Partial box score.  Assists not available, my apologies)
 
1st:  PSU Mangene 1:49
      WCU B. Francis 3:03
      PSU Strasser 5:30
      PSU Karl 7:28 (pp)
      PSU Niedt 8:48 (pp)
      PSU Shell 9:29
      PSU Keegan 14:23
      PSU Cowan 18:43
 
2nd:  PSU C. Cervellero 4:47
      PSU Graziano 7:04
      PSU Adams 15:57
      WCU Carr 16:17
      WCU Fiddler 16:19
      WCU Fiddler 19:02
 
3rd:  WCU Amoroso 2:13
      PSU Russell 5:02
      PSU Russell 9:11
      WCU A. Bochman 17:39
 
Goaltending:  PSU Gray (W), Lecours (0:00 2nd)
              WCU Lawless (L), O'Brien (7:04 2nd)
 
Power Plays:  PSU 2 of 2
              WCU 0 of 2
 
In all, a very clean game, with only a total of 8 penalty minutes assessed.
The Icers are now 22-0-0 (7-0-0=14 ACHL).  West Chester drops to 7-8-1 (unsure
of ACHL record).  As the Icers have only one ACHL game left, and have defeated
every other team twice (except Maryland, who was battling WCU for fourth),
Penn State has clinched the first-ever Atlantic Collegiate Hockey League
regular season title, and will be seeded first at the ACHL Playoffs, held at
the Penn State Ice Pavilion (also called the "IcerDome") on Feb. 26-27.
Penn State is now outscoring their opponents 201-41 overall, 75-14 in the ACHL.
The Icers are back in action at the Ice Pavilion this weekend, facing their
final ACHL opponent Maryland on Friday, and Navy on Saturday.  Earlier this
season, Penn State crushed the Terrapins 15-1, and defeated the Midshipmen 8-3.
 
Jeremy Hall
Penn State Univ.
LET'S GO ICERS!!
GO COWBOYS! (Pred:  Dallas 24, Bills 21)