Icecats set for ACHA title march

Tanith L. Balaban Arizona Daily Wildcat Icecat senior Peter Scott (22) and the rest of the second-ranked Icecats (24-2-1) start their quest for the national title tomorrow at the American Collegiate Hockey Association Tournament.

In fact, the Icecats and coach Leo Golembiewski are the only team to go to the national tournament every year since 1983.

"We're the most consistent collegiate hockey program," said Golembiewski, whose overall record since starting the program in 1979 is 362-77-10. "The only spin on it this year is that this is the youngest team we've ever had."

With 17 underclassmen, youth is a concern for the No. 2 ranked Icecats (24-2-1). The Icecats are seeded second in the national tournament, which starts today and runs through Saturday. The tournament is hosted by Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Mich.

The Icecats learn of their opponent based on today's play. If No. 7 Delaware beats No. 10 Towson State, the Icecats will play Delaware. However, if Towson State pulls off the upset, then the Icecats will play the winner of the contest between No. 8 Arizona State and No. 9 Western Michigan.

Delaware and Arizona State are the only two teams to have beaten the Icecats this year.

The Icecats are already slated to play Michigan-Dearborn on Thursday at 2 p.m. (Tucson time) and two-time defending national champion Ohio on Friday afternoon

The Icecats met the Bobcats last month and came away with a win and a tie from the road trip to Athens.

"The Ohio road-trip gave the team a lot of confidence," Golembiewksi said. "We know we can beat them and they know they got beat by us."

However, whatever team the Icecats' face is not much of a concern. Senior Brian Consolino said they try to treat the games in the tournament just like any other game during the season.

"You want to make it a fun atmosphere," Consolino said. "Everybody knows that these are going to be big games, but you try not to focus on that too much."

So, how does a team that is 24-2-1 prepare for something like the national tournament? Golembiewski said striving for consistency is the key.

"We don't prepare any differently for the tournament," he said.

"From day one we try to put the best team on the ice we can. We focus on motor skills and fundamentals and attack it from that stand point."

Co-captain Peter Scott said that going into the tournament this year has a different feeling for him than years past.

"There's more parody in the league this year. It seems like the last couple of years everyone was playing for second place behind Ohio," Scott said. "We know we have a pretty good chance."

Pretty good chance or not, youth is still an element the Icecats cannot ignore.

"In the years past as a younger player, we'd bank on the older guys to do the scoring," said Consolino, who leads the team with 47 goals. "This team doesn't do that. Everybody steps up and we come together as a team. It's coming from everybody and that's very promising going into nationals."

Scott said part of his responsibility as a senior is to take charge and prepare the younger players.

"We try to pick the intensity up," Scott said. "The Ohio trip, by design, had the feel of the tournament. Hopefully, the freshmen took that as an experience. It's our responsibility to pick it up around the locker room and on the ice - that's the best we can do."

Golembiewski has also expressed concern about starting goaltender Beau LeMire.

"LeMire's had a good year as an 18-year-old freshman," he said. "When you have someone that young, you don't know what they perceive. The bottom line is getting the job done. That's the key to all of this."