RYE, N.Y. - The Neumann University men's ice hockey team suffered a heart-breaking setback to United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) rival Manhattanville College, falling by a score of 4-3 on Friday evening.

Clay Boyd, Barry Kneedler and Joe Mitchell scored for Neumann in the loss, while Mike Cosentino made 21 saves in goal.

Coming into the contest just two points ahead of Stevenson for the final UCHC playoff spot, the Knights hoped for a win to extend their advantage over the Mustangs. Unfortunately for Neumann, Manhattanville had other ideas. In an evenly played first frame it would as the Valiants who would strike first. Despite a 7-6 edge in shots, the hosts found the back of the net at the 10:26 mark to take a 1-0 lead into intermission.

Neumann continued to win the shot battle in the second stanza, out-shooting the Valiants by a count of 16-12, but the Knights again came out on the wrong side of the scoreline. Manhattanville tallied just 1:25 into the period to take a 2-0 lead then added a shorthanded insurance marker late in the frame to claim a 3-0 advantage as the game moved to the third.

Facing a three goal deficit, the Knights would not quit. Showing the same resolve that has gotten the team back into the postseason hunt, Neumann played one of its best periods of the season to work its way back into the game. Kneedler finally broke through with the visitors' first goal of the contest off a feed from Tommy Dougherty just 2:40 into the period to get the comeback started. The Knights continued to pepper the Valiant goal with shots, but much like the first two periods, Manhattanville counter-punched with a fourth goal against the run of play to go up 4-1 with under 12 minutes left to play. 

Undeterred by the Manhattanville marker, Neumann continued its all-out assault on the Valiant net and took advantage of a late five minute major penalty after Mitchell was charged into the boards. The senior struggled to get to the bench after the hit, but would not allow the setback to keep him from getting back on the ice in his final regular season game as a Knight. Already on a power play when the hit occurred, Neumann would have an extended two man advantage. Looking for a spark, the visitors pulled Cosentino to make it a 6-on-3 power play and the team cashed in with a goal from none other than Mitchell. The senior stalwart redirected a shot from the point by Boyd to cut the Manhattanville lead to 4-2 with 6:31 left to play. 

Still on the five-minute man advantage, the Knights struck again. Boyd rammed home a rebound off a Matt Gerber shot to bring Neumann back to within one with 2:34 left in the game. The final two minutes of play saw the visitors throw everything they had at the Manhattanville goal, but an equalizer was not in the cards for the evening. Despite outshooting the Valiants 37-25, the Knights fell by a score of 4-3. 

Neumann (6-15-4, 5-9-4 UCHC) will now await the result of the Stevenson and Lebanon Valley game tomorrow night to learn its playoff fate. The Knights remain in sixth place in the conference standings for the moment, but a regulation win by either the Mustangs or Dutchmen tomorrow evening would eliminate Neumann from postseason competition.