Despite earning a star of the game distinction last week in a rare start, Rick Karasch didn't exactly expect to start in goal in the final game of the UA Icecats' first road trip.

He reacted by turning in unexpected performance.

No. 11 Arizona (5-1-1) earned a split with Navy (4-10-0) with a 2-0 win on Saturday, after losing to the Midshipmen 1-0 on Friday. Karasch, a junior, had 27 saves.

Icecats head coach Leo Golembiewski said that Karasch's play gave the team a great boost.

"I think it is huge," Golembiewski said. "Rick played very well."

Golembiewski was also impressed with the defense in front of Karasch.

"Our entire defense should propped," Golembiewski said. "I'm very pleased with their consistency."

Freshmen forwards Dave Cwik and Jeff Merrit notched both of the UA's goals.

The Icecats went 2-1 on their Maryland road trip, beating Towson 6-5 in overtime in the first game on Thursday. The UA's next road trip is not until late January.

"Well you get back from a road trip with hose results with a young team, we're marginally satisfied," Golembiewski said.

The team's regular starting goalie, junior Bryan Aronchick of Narberth, Penn., had to miss to second game because of a death in the family.

"For the Icecats family is the most important thing, followed by academics of course and then hockey," Golembiewski said.

Golembiewski said the Icecats outplayed Navy on Saturday and for two periods on Friday, with the difference being the UA's inability to put the puck in the back of the net, not capitalizing on breakaways and two on ones.

During the road trip the coaches changed all three offensive and defensive units and were up until 3 a.m. Saturday morning, talking about the previous nights' 1-0 loss.

"We are certainly going to address the shooting changes," Golembiewski.

Still, Golembiewski felt the game was the team's best all season.

"It was the most solid performance we had in the first seven games," Golembiewski said. "We just had a problem burying the puck."

The Icecats outshot the Midshipmen 35 to 27 in game two and 41 to 22 in the first game.

"We threw a lot of rubber at Navy," Golembiewski said.

In the first game of the series the Icecats suffered their first defeat of the season. Navy had only one penalty compared to six for Arizona while Aronchick had 21 saves.

The road does not get any easier for the Icecats, with No. 6 Weber State coming to town for a two game set on Friday and Saturday at the Tucson Convention Center.