Maybe it is true that the best offense is a good defense.
Amongst the blizzard of 92 Icer goals this season, their checking line has hopped on the bandwagon and has racked up more points than all their opponents combined.
“It was explained to us when the season started, the black line was not only to stop scoring,” senior Icer Steve Karl said, “but is capable of making the goals too.”
The Icers’ black line has scored 15 goals and collected 27 assists, which is unheard of for a black line.
“The main objective of the black line is to shut the other team’s best offense down,” Icers Coach Joe Battista said. “But it is a pleasant surprise to see them score, and we will need this from them especially this weekend.”
Friday, the Icers are slated to do battle with No. 6 Eastern Michigan for the first round of the Michigan-Dearborn Tournament.
Battista looks for this tournament to be the first dog-fight of the season, and feels it will answer some question marks as to just how good his team is.
“They gave Iowa State their only loss this season,” he said. “And they beat us 7-5 here last year. They’ve got a lot of guys back this year, and the (Icers) are looking to pay them back.”
EMU has a large, physical team, but also has dicipline and experience to compliment it. The only weak spot for the Eagles seems to be the skill and finesse department, but Battista feels their hard work compensates for these lackings.
“Despite the lack in skill, the equalizer is their big work ethic,” Battista said. “We are going to have to out work them, or not let them out work us to beat them. They are bigger than us, but we’ve got the skill they lack, and I feel that our black line can make a difference in this battle”
The Icers’ checking line is comprised of 6-feet, 190-pound Brad Russell, captain forward 5-foot-10, 170-pound Jim Adams, 5-foot-10, 175-pound Steve Karl and 5-foot-10, 175-pound Andrew Strasser.
They may not be large, but the hit with their hearts, which is a lot larger than many of their opponents.
“They are high passion players on both the attack and defense,” Battista said. “That is a definite plus for your black line.”
The black line is, by far, not a finesse crew, but the goals count just the same.
“When we score, it’s nothing pretty,” Karl said. “Usually somebody is on their way down or is already on the ground, but a goal is a goal, and when we score it is like a wrecking ball because it is against their best offense, and they don’t deal with that well. So we score again.”
And score and score and score and score.