ROCHESTER, N.Y. - The Neumann University men's ice hockey team fell in a high scoring affair on Saturday afternoon in United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) action, losing 6-4 to host Nazareth College.
 
Luke Croucher played a part in all four Neumann goals on the day with two goals and two assists. Nick Martino passed out three assists, while Richie Brusco and Nate Dunning also scored for the Knights. Kyle Pantalone was strong between the pipes with 32 saves on 37 shots.
 
With the UCHC standings coming down to the wire in the last weekend of the season, Neumann knew that picking up points over its last two games was a must if the team wanted to move up the pecking order of the conference. The Knights opened up with a solid first period on the road, with Pantalone being their best player early on. The senior net-minder stopped all 16 shots he faced in the period to allow the visitors to strike first in the frame. Neumann broke through with the first goal of the contest just 4:23 into the game on a Croucher goal and held on the rest of the way to take a 1-0 lead into intermission.
 
Nazareth continued to pepper the Neumann cage with shots in the second, this time recording 19 attempts. Unlike the first, the Golden Flyers were actually rewarded in the second stanza as they broke through with three unanswered goals to open the period and take a 3-1 advantage with 10:44 to go in the frame. Neumann kept skating though and used a quick two-goal burst of its own to level things back up at three apiece. Brusco and Croucher tallied a pair of goals two minutes apart late in the period to make it 3-3 with 4:46 to play until intermission. The momentum of the game was not done switching sides however, as Nazareth used a goal with 1:17 left in the stanza to take a 4-3 lead into the third.
 
The Golden Flyers gave themselves some breathing room early in the final frame, scoring just before the five minute mark of the period to make it 5-3. The Knights would have a golden chance to respond though just minutes later after a Nazareth player was given a five-minute major penalty. Despite the long power-play opportunity, Neumann could not take advantage as it came and went with the hosts still up by a pair. The Knights did find their way back into the game however, as Dunning lit the lamp at the 14:42 mark to give the visitors just over five minutes to find an equalizer late. Neumann threw everything it had into getting the game tied, but with its net empty for an extra attacker in the waning moments of the contest, Nazareth buried a 6th goal into the gaping cage to seal the 6-4 conference win.
 
Neumann (8-14-1, 5-11-1 UCHC) will look to rebound tomorrow afternoon when it takes on top-seeded Utica College at 2:00 PM in its final game of the regular season.