The Icecats skated off the Tucson Convention Center ice on Dec. 2 after their second loss to No. 1 Ohio in as many nights.

They knew the going would only get worse as they would face three top 10 opponents in January.

But the sixth-ranked Icecats (13-3) have answered many critics with two weekend sweeps over No. 3 Eastern Michigan and No. 4 Iowa State. That's four games and four victories.

The last opponent on the January home schedule is No. 10 Michigan-Dearborn.

The Icecats and Wolves will face off tonight at 7:30 in the first of a two-game series at the Tucson Convention Center. Both games will be broadcasted live on KTKT (AM 990).

The Icecats will try to extend their six-game winning streak.

"The way we see it," Icecat coach Leo Golembiewski said, "is that this semester has nine weekends - two down, seven to go. If you don't play it shift, by period, by game, by day, you'll go crazy."

As for Michigan-Dearborn, don't count them out, Golembiewski said.

"They always give us fits," he said. "They are more physical than Eastern Michigan."

Last season the Icecats split two games with the Wolves in Michigan.

The key to the Icecats will again be the play of the young players. Freshmen such as Ben Ruston and Bob Maijka have proven their worth, but during a schedule such as this there is no room to take a night off.

"At the beginning of the season we didn't know what to expect," Icecat captain Kevin Oztekin said. "But the young guys have really stepped up."

Golembiewski agreed.

"Ruston's had two big weekends," he said. "You look at what they're doing and you've got to be totally impressed."

Working to the Icecats' advantage is the fact they could be facing a tired Dearborn squad. The Wolves played Arizona State in Tempe last night before making the trip down to Tucson.

"You've got to learn to relax," Golembiewski said. "You have to learn to take a 15-minute vacation, whether it be watching television or talking on the phone."