Hoosiers skating up the ranks

The IU hockey team started the second semester knowing that it would have to be playing good hockey to make the most of its 9-6-1 start. The Hoosiers responded in a big way.\nIU started the hot streak with a pair of 10-1 wins over Purdue. Then the Hoosiers beat Division I no. 16 Washington and Jefferson in the Nittany Lion Invitational. IU suffered the only loss of the semester when they were defeated by Penn State in the championship game of the tournament, but the setback didn't faze the Hoosiers. IU left on an important two-game road trip that had big impact on the Great Midwest Hockey League standings and came back with a pair of victories. IU beat Ferris State and Michigan state to keep its GMHL title hopes alive.\nThe improvements go beyond wins and losses. During the first semester, IU was 20 percent on the powerplay and was killing 78.4 percent of their penalties. During the 5-1 streak, IU has scored on 27.3 percent of its powerplays and has successfully skated off 83.3 percent of its penalties. The Hoosiers have improved from 4.67 goals per game to averaging six per game in the second half.\nThe result of the improvements has been a rise from fifth to third in the GMHL with a chance to earn a conference title or a first-round bye in the GMHL tournament. If the Hoosiers are to accomplish either, they will have to tin a pair of games at home this weekend, a task junior forward David Dassel said the team is looking forward to.\n"We feel like we are in the best position because we're playing at home next weekend," Dassel said. "We feel like we have to show Michigan State how it is at home; they ended our (28-game home unbeaten) streak."\nIU will play Michigan State (6-8-2, 3-4-1) and second place Oakland University (20-6-3, 6-2-0) this weekend. Oakland, the surprise of the GMHL this season, can win the conference outright with a win over IU on Friday or in Oxford, Ohio, against Miami University on Saturday. Oakland, UM and IU are all chasing Michigan (16-8-1, 6-3-1). The Wolverines have finished their 10-game GMHL schedule with 13 points. IU and Miami (Ohio) could tie and Oakland could surpass Michigan for the league title.