HERSHEY, Pa. - The short-handed Neumann University women's ice hockey team fought valiantly to earn a 1-1 tie at Hershey Park Arena versus Lebanon Valley College before falling in a shootout in United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) midweek action.
 
Jasmine Martinez scored the lone goal of the day for Neumann, while goalie Michelle Winand-Bacon was brilliant in goal with 41 saves.
 
Playing in their first game of 2022, the Knights got off to a great start in the opening period with a goal to take an early lead. Martinez lit the lamp off assists from Taylor Cullen and Georgia Wunder at the 10:42 mark to put Neumann up by a score of 1-0. The visitors also outshot the Dutchmen by a count of 12-8 in the frame, as Winand-Bacon stifled the Lebanon Valley attack by shutting the hosts out in the period.
 
The Dutchmen rallied in the second stanza, throwing 19 shots at the Neumann cage as they worked their way back into the contest. Lebanon Valley broke through the brick wall of Winand-Bacon at the 2:03 mark to make it 1-1, then continued to apply pressure in the Knights' end throughout the remainder of the period. The visitors generated nine shots in the frame but couldn't find a second marker. Winand-Bacon continued to come up big late in the stanza, making 18 saves in the middle 20 minutes to keep the matchup tied moving into the third.
 
Each team had its chances to win the game in the third period, but the goaltenders stood tall in keeping both teams off the scoreboard to deny a game-winner. The Knights carried the play in the final frame with a 14-9 edge in shots, but the Dutchmen net-minder had an answer fir every opportunity as the game moved to overtime.
 
Neumann had a golden chance to claim the winning tally late in the extra session with a power play, but the visitors could not make it count. Lebanon Valley had three shots in the overtime, but Winand-Bacon shut the door on all three efforts to send the contest to a shootout and earn the team at least a point in the conference standings.
 
The hot goaltending continued into the skills competition, as the first five combined shooters from both teams were denied in their shootout attempts. Unfortunately for the Knights, Lebanon Valley was finally able to solve Winand-Bacon on its third shooter to clinch the 1-0 shootout win that gains them an extra point in the UCHC standings.
 
Neumann (1-10-2, 1-6-2 UCHC) will get back to the ice Friday, January 14th when the team plays host to Kings College. Puck-drop is scheduled for 4:00 PM.