Dec. 9, 2005

Box Score

The Neumann Knights men's ice hockey (7-4-0) team skated to a 3-2 win over SUNY Fredonia (6-4-2) in non conference action Friday evening. With the win, the 2005-2006 Knights record their first victory over the Blue Devils in program history and now hold the record for most wins in a season.

 

Neumann and Fredonia went back in forth in the first period and continued to battle evenly five minutes into the second. Fredonia managed to put the first points of the night on the board at the 5:03 mark of the second period when the Blue Devils' Shawn Walker hit the top shelf for the 1-0 lead. However, that lead would only last for a total of 4 minutes and 4 seconds as Neumann's Mike Hedden hit his mark taking a long pass across the neutral zone from Neil Trimm and Mike Gooch on a break-a-way. Hedden finished the drive off with a wrist shot though the five hole for the 1-1 tie. Fredonia attempted to keep their winning streak against the Knights alive, scoring their second of the night, at the 18:19 mark of the second period to put the Blue Devils up 2-1 going into intermission. However,  in a season of firsts, the Knights knew what had to be done. Neumann had just 20 minutes to break a nine game losing streak. Lucky for Neumann, the third period proved to go their way.  The Knights scored two goals in the first 6 minutes of play giving them their first victory over the Blue Devils since the rivalry started almost four-years ago to the day (December 13, 2002).

 

The Knights evened the score, for the second time of the night, when Neil Trimm aimed the puck to the glove side of Fredonia's goalie Simon Maiguan after stick handling through two defenders for the 2-2 draw. Trimm then teamed up with Sean Cryer who was able to set up teammate Mike Hedden for his second goal of the night, and the eventual game winner, on a wrap around, power-play goal, less than five minutes later. Neumann's goalie Mike Collichio managed to stop 28 shots in the win including 8 in the third period, shutting down the Blue Devils 3-2.

 

The Knights will return to action Saturday afternoon when they with host SUNY Fredonia in the second of the home and home series at 3:00 p.m.