WORCESTER, Mass. - The Neumann University men's ice hockey team completed a two-game sweep of host Assumption College on Tuesday afternoon, prevailing by a score of 7-1 in non-conference play.
Barry Kneedler led the way for the Knights on the day with a hat trick and an assist for a four-point game.
Nick Martino recorded a three-point (1 g, 2 a) afternoon, while
Evan Hoey and
Dexton Mozell each tallied two assists.
Kyle Pantalone also stayed hot in goal, stopping 28-of-29 shots he faced to earn the victory.
In a mirror image of Monday's contest, the Knights raced out to an early lead, striking three times in the game's opening 20 minutes to lead 3-0 after one. Kneedler played a part in two of those tallies, assisting on Martino's opener at 6:52 on the power play before scoring unassisted at the 9:19 mark to make it 2-0. Just like yesterday's game, Neumann also received a goal late in the period, this time coming from
Joe DiGiulio with just 1:29 remaining in the frame. Assumption actually outshot the visitors by a count of 11-10 in the period, but Pantalone was excellent as he stopped all 11 shots he faced to keep the Knights up by three heading to the second.
The onslaught continued into the second stanza, as
Tyler Kulas added to the Neumann lead with his third goal of the season just 3:14 into the period to make it 4-0. The Greyhounds got one back late in the period on a power play of their own, but
Wyatt Wong's first career goal with 2:17 left in the frame made it 5-1 in favor of the Knights after two periods of play.
It would be smooth sailing from there for the visitors. Neumann shut down the Assumption attack the rest of the way and sealed the game with a pair of power play goals just two seconds apart from Kneedler, who secured his hat trick to make it 7-1 at the 13:46 mark. The Knights would keep that lead until the end of regulation and win by the same score to claim their second win in as many days.
Neumann (6-6-1) will have three days off before returning to the ice to take on SUNY Cartland on Saturday, January 8th. Puck-drop in New York is slated for 5:00 PM.
