The Arizona club hockey team will face off with Colorado State at the Tucson Convention Center tonight, with an emphasis placed on the defense – a weakness for Arizona throughout its first seven games.

“”Getting the puck out of our zone has been an incredible Achilles heel,”” said UA head coach Leo Golembiewski. “”It’s a necessity and something has to be done about it.””

In practice Monday, Golembiewski implemented a new break-out drill, which focuses on getting the puck out of the zone. Last weekend the Icecats (2-5) were unable to keep DePaul out of their zone, and were out-shot 97-65.

The Icecats have scored 26 goals this season, but have given up 29.

Defensive mistakes could prove to be costly this weekend with a Colorado State team (8-6) that scored 22 goals in a game this season against Utah and averages six goals a game.

The Rams come to Tucson as a Division II team in the American Collegiate Hockey Association. Last week, UA goaltender Nick Boddy said he thought the team overlooked DePaul because it was a Division II team.

“”I don’t think we will overlook another team the rest of the year,”” Boddy said. “”We dug ourselves a hole and now we have to get out of it.””

Though the team has struggled early in the season, players and coaches continue to be upbeat. Before practice, Golembiewski put Z’s and Y’s on the board to show that he’s not X’s and O’s type of coach, and also to lighten the mood.

“”Nobody is done or depressed, I don’t even know if they know that there is pressure to win,”” Golembiewski said.

The Icecats will play without two of their captains, Zack Stommen and Matt Conover. Stommen will be serving a one-game suspension for being ejected on Saturday after kicking a DePaul player in the head. Conover is expected to miss both games this weekend with an injured left knee, which he suffered against DePaul Friday in the second period.

“”He’s one of our best players so it requires all of us to step up and make up for it,”” Jordan Schupan said of Conover.

The Icecats will get Austin Capobianco back for this weekend series against the Rams after he served a two-game suspension last weekend for an undisclosed reason.

“”There is no excuse for this weekend,”” Shupan said. “”We have no room for error.””