ASTON, Pa. - The Neumann University men's ice hockey team returned to home ice for the first time in the second semester on Friday evening, falling by a score of 3-1 to visiting SUNY Cortland in non-conference action.
 
Barry Kneedler potted the Knights lone goal of the game, while Kyle Pantalone was sensational in goal with 41 saves in the loss.
 
An evenly played first period saw each team create chances throughout the opening 20 minutes, but the game's first goal would not come until late in the frame. Just as the game looked to be heading to intermission scoreless, a late Neumann penalty gave the Red Dragons a power-play that they would capitalize on. The visitors would score with just 23 seconds left in the period to take a 1-0 lead into the break.
 
Cortland used the late goal to continue its momentum into the second period, where it out-shot the Knights by a count of 19-5. Pantalone was outstanding in the frame though, keeping Neumann in the game by stopping all 19 shots he faced. The Knight penalty kill was also put to the test in the second, killing off an entire two minutes of 5-on-3 play to maintain the score-line. Despite being out-shot, the hosts claimed the only goal of the period off the stick of Kneedler, who snapped home his 12th goal of the season at the 3:05 mark of the frame off assists from Mario Tropea and Ryan Meyer to level the contest heading to the third.
 
Cortland wasted no time vaulting into the lead in the final frame, scoring just 33 seconds into the period to take a 2-1 lead. Pantalone made the first save on the play, but the Red Dragon attacker batted the rebound out of mid-air into the net to give the visitors the lead. Cortland tried their best to let the Knights get back into the game by taking several penalties in the period, but Neumann could not convert on its multiple power-play opportunities. The hosts' best chance came with a five minute power play midway through the frame, but the team could not find the back of the net as the game remained 2-1 with just a few minutes left to play.
 
Another late Cortland penalty gave the Knights one last chance to tie the contest, as Neumann pulled its goalie to gain a 6-on-4 edge. Despite the two-man advantage, the hosts could not find the back of the net and Cortland clinched the contest with an empty-netter with 24 seconds left to seal the 3-1 non-conference matchup.