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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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