Blogging on the Bus

Some thoughts on Friday's 6-3 win over Drexel as we head to Philly for the 2nd half of the home-and-home series with the Dragons:

Coaching victory #100 won't top Scott Balboni's fave list. For the first 40 minutes it looked liked Yogi Berra's "deja vu all over again" could happen.

Flash back to November 7, 2008: The icers pumped 71 shots at Drexel netminder Dan Pyne, but wound up on the short end of a 3-2 final score. It was the Dragons' first and only win over Penn State.

Despite outshooting Drexel 31-15, the score after 2 was 3-3. The Icers had some good scoring chances, but once again Pyne was on his game.

All three Drexel goals came on the power play and a it took a couple of big saves by Teddy Hume to keep it from being a Drexel lead after 2.

As 3rd star Dan Petrick told me in the post game interview, something clicked in the locker room between periods. The Icers came out on a mission in the 3rd, outshooting Drexel 18-3, clamping down defensively and putting the game away with power play goals by Steve Thurston and Chris Cerutti sandwiched around Chris' even strength goal.

"Sweet Lou" was a force at both ends of the ice. His coast-to-coast power play goal in the 1st period was a thing of beauty. So was Joe Zitarelli's first goal as an Icer, a top-shelfer that was past Pyne before he could blink. Tim O'Brien rounded out the Icers' scoring with his 4th of the season.

Tough to see Taylor Cera hobble to the locker room early in the game. His physical presence will be missed while he's out with the undisclosed injury.

The Icers will need a better effort tonight to sweep the weekend series. Game time is 7:30 from the Class of 1923 Arena.