For the past five weeks, while the Penn State ACHA Division I Icers laced up their skates for the weekend games, junior Steve Peck was donning a suit and tie and watching the team from the stands.

But, tomorrow, Peck can finally trade his business attire for an Icers' jersey.

Peck is excited to return to the ice against Niagara after a strenuous and frustrating injury that sidelined him for much of the season. He saw limited action last week, about a minute or two at the game's end, but this will be the first week he competes during a regular shift since he tore his medial collateral ligament (MCL) on Nov. 2

And, more than one month later, he still vividly remembers the play that knocked him out of the game.

"I went in to hit a guy, and it was really weird," Peck said. "I got into the boards and collided with the inside of my knee really hard. Once I started skating on it, I just knew it was messed up."

A few days later he was diagnosed with the second-degree tear. It was the type of injury that would not allow a speedy return to the ice.

Balboni said as damaging as it was, these types of knee injuries are quite common in the game, noting that he, along with many other hockey players, have had knee operations.

"We usually have a couple [knee injuries] a year," Balboni said. "It's a pretty common injury because of the skating and guys hitting at the waist level. Hockey players usually all have banged-up knees."

Shortly after the accident, Peck began rehabbing his knee twice a day, once in the morning and a quick session again before practice. The sessions were "tedious" routines of performing leg presses and other exercises to build up the strength he lost in his leg.

Three weeks after the accident, Peck attempted to begin skating again with the team -- but without contact or strenuous movement. Unfortunately for him, he realized the knee was far from 100 percent. Balboni also noted his difficulty, and the two decided he would need more rest before returning to the ice indefinitely.

A week before the West Virginia games, the pain and swelling in Peck's knee had receded and he began skating at a nearly normal comfort level. He wasn't allowed contact at first, but only a few days before the game, he was suited up in full pads.

"When I first started practicing again, I was a little winded and out of shape," Peck said. "I was also trying to get back into the mental part of the game which is one of my strong points. But I was a little out of sync and it was tough because I didn't have that along with my legs feeling tired."

Senior Sean Kenney said he could relate to what Peck was going through.

"I blew out my ankle in juniors and was out for about eight weeks," Kenney said. "It's definitely tough to get back into it. You definitely lose your mind a little bit of how quick things happen with reaction times and stuff like that."

This wasn't the first prolonged hockey injury Peck had suffered in his life. He had broken his left wrist twice during high school. The first break happened when he was sophomore and the second came when he was a senior. Even back then he said it was tough to sit out.

During his career at Penn State, Peck said he's never suffered a severe injury, noting he played every game last season and missed only a few in the three years he has been with the team.

During those years, he has become a key player for the Icers.

"Steve's the type of guy who always seems to find the back of the net," Balboni said. "He's always in the right position and he scores a lot of goals and points for us. He's a finisher and he's definitely someone we are missing from our lineup."

Kenney added that Peck is a "high-impact" player that raises the level of play of everyone who is on the ice with him.

"He brings a great offensive mind to the game," Kenney said. "When other guys go in, he sees and knows where he should be, so the others are able to get him the puck in open space. He just sees the ice so well so he's great at developing plays."

Balboni said Peck is 100 percent healthy from the injury and it is only a matter of time before he returns back to full hockey shape.

"I'm feeling great and I'm looking forward to playing this weekend," Peck said. "My head is there and we only play one game so I'm ready to play hard and see how it holds up."