Hockey team looks for National Championship

Hoosier center Brandon Phillips doesn't scare anyone with his size. At 5-foot-8, 155 pounds, the senior isn't the most imposing player on the ice, and more than a few opponents have watched him during the pre-game skate and anticipated the chance to squash him against the boards.\nBut any opponent who has ever felt the impact of Phillips' check knows better.\n"He's been a real spark plug for us his whole career," said coach Rich Holdeman. "Looking at him, you'd think he was a finesse player, but he's actually a fairly tough player. For a guy who's not too big, he's pretty tough and he hits real well."\nNow in his fourth season with the Hoosiers hockey team, Phillips has become a favorite among fans and teammates with his gritty, in-your-face style of two-way play. Although it's his spectacular offensive abilities that garners the most attention, Phillips is never shy about hurling his small frame at oncoming opponents.\n"I'm obviously a smaller guy," Phillips said. "But I like to play physical and get in the corners."\nPhillips remains the Hoosiers' active leader with 266 career penalty minutes, including two seasons where he led the team for time in the box. Though he's made a conscious effort to keep those numbers down this year, a mere 24 in 14 games, and fifth on the team, his aggressive nature doesn't hide for long.\n"Sometimes I let my emotions get the better of me," Phillips admitted.\n"I use my stick to my advantage and I don't always get away with it. This year, we're playing tougher teams and being a man down is really going to hurt us. But it's still fun to get a few penalties here and there."\nWith 18 points in 14 games, Phillips is on pace to set a career high in points-per-game. He was effective in the Big 10 Classic two weeks ago, tying for the tournament lead with five points and playing a key role in beating ACHA Division I leader, Penn State.\n"I was pretty excited just going into a game against Penn State and knowing how big of a win it would be for our program," Phillips said.\n"As a senior, we really wanted to make a statement for the program by beating a team of that caliber. We wanted to make a point."\nOffensively, Phillips is a player with creativity and a nasty streak, zipping around the ice with enough speed to create room for one of his wingers, or crush a back-checking defenseman behind the goal. He is the perfect complementary player for his linemates, Bryan Grant and Dan Hauck, who are now in their second full season together and playing better.\n"It seems there's great chemistry together," said Holdeman. "Just for a fan of hockey, it's great to watch when guys know where their linemates are going to be without looking."\nThe trio's impeccable chemistry on the ice is aided by the fact that they are good friends away from the rink as well. The three are living together for the second straight year and their matched enthusiasm for the game has drawn them closer together as teammates.\n"We're best friends on and off the ice, so it really works out well," Hauck said. "I've been playing with Brandon for two years now, and each year he's been better than the last. He's a real catalyst on the power play and penalty kill."\nAs Phillips continues to reach for career numbers, there's the matter of a National Championship title to be settled first.\n"I just want to win a national tournament," he said. "We've come close. Sophomore year we finished second. Beating Penn State shows what we can do, and I really think we can do it."\nSaturday night, Phillips and his teammates will face the Indiana University Heroes of the Hockey Alumni team. Admission is free.