HERSHEY, Pa. - The Neumann University women's ice hockey team returned to the ice for the first time in a year on Friday night, skating to a shootout win over Lebanon Valley College in United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) action.
 
Senior Katelyn Brown picked up right where she left off last season, dominating the Dutchmen with two goals and an assist. Jeannie Padden (2 goals) and Georgi Rowland (2 assists) each had two point nights, while Alexa Lamplugh was strong in goal with 34 saves. Syd Ladwig was the hero in the shootout, scoring the game-winning goal.
 
Playing their first game in 355 days, the Knights came out of the gates roaring and ready to go. Led by Brown, Neumann blitzed the hosts for three first period marks to take a commanding 3-0 lead after one. Brown got the scoring started with a short-handed solo effort at the 6:19 mark to make it 1-0. The senior forward then added a second goal with just under two minutes left in the frame before closing the period off with an assist on Padden's first of the night with just 12 seconds left to go in the opening 20 minutes.
 
Lebanon Valley would claw its way back into the game in the second stanza though. Lamplugh kept the Dutchmen at bay for most of the period with 11 saves, but using a two-goal burst in the final two minutes of the frame, the hosts would bring the scoreline back to 3-2 heading to the third.
 
The Knights bounced back with a much better start to the third period. Padden padded the visitors' slim lead to 4-2 at the 12:23 mark, but the Dutchmen answered back just over a minute later to make it 4-3 and set up a frenetic final few minutes. Neumann held on until the last minute of play, but finally succumbed to the Lebanon Valley pressure by allowing a goal with 45 seconds left that tied the contest at 4-4 and sent the game to overtime.
 
The Dutchmen continued to carry play into the extra session, but despite outshooting the Knights by a count of 7-1, could not solve Lamplugh. With the score still deadlocked at four apiece the game went to a shootout.
 
The opening two shooters for both teams were stonewalled in the skills competition before Claudia Trionfo finally broke through for the Knights to give them a 1-0 lead. A save from Lamplugh would've won the matchup, but Lebanon Valley also scored on its third attempt to keep the contest going. That's when Ladwig stepped up and played the hero on the evening. The clutch junior buried her attempt in the fourth round and after a Lamplugh save just moments later, the Knights took home the extra point in the conference standings.
 
Neumann (0-0-1) returns right back to action tomorrow afternoon for a home rematch with Lebanon Valley. The Knights will honor their seniors prior to the game, which starts at 2:00 PM on IceWorks Rink 4.