MORRISVILLE, N.Y. - The Neumann University women's ice hockey team returned to action after a month break by falling at Morrisville State College in non-conference action by a score of 4-2.
 
Jeannie Padden (2 g) and Katelyn Brown (2 a) carried the Knights offensively, each tallying two points in the loss. Helen Cooney was also strong in net, stopping 39 shots.
 
Eager to get back to the ice for the first time since early December, the Knights got things rolling early with the game's first goal at the 5:23 mark of the first frame. Padden found the back of the net off assists from line-mates Brown and Claudia Trionfo to give Neumann the early 1-0 lead. The Mustangs controlled the rest of the frame, but outstanding goaltending from Cooney kept the visitors' slim lead intact heading to intermission. Morrisville recorded 11 shots compared to just four from the Knights, but Cooney stopped every effort thrown her way to hold the lead for Neumann.
 
The second stanza would be a different story though, as the Mustangs broke through with two goals in the opening 1:24 of the period to jump out to a 2-1 lead. Morrisville dominated territorially with a 16-2 edge in shots, but the Knights used a power-play midway through the frame to claw their way back into the contest. Padden again scored for Neumann on a man-advantage at the 8:30 mark off another feed from Brown to knot the game up at two apiece. Despite the positive momentum, the Knights could not keep things tied heading to the second intermission. The Mustangs scored just four minutes later to take a 3-2 lead moving to the third period.
 
Neumann fought hard to get the score leveled in the final frame, but the Mustangs proved to be too much on the afternoon. Using a power-play of its own midway through the period, Morrisville doubled its lead to 4-2 at the 10:49 mark and cruised the rest of the way to take home the victory in the first of two matchups between the teams this weekend.
 
Neumann (7-4-0) returns to the ice tomorrow at Morrisville looking to get back in the win column. Puck-drop for the non-conference contest is scheduled for 1:00 PM.