ASTON, Pa. – The Neumann University Women's Hockey team, trailing by two laste in the second period, scored twice in 16 seconds in the third to grab a 5-4 win over Hilbert College in a non-conference game on Friday evening.
After an almost month-long break, both teams took some time to warm into the game. With 5:01 left in the first period,
Liberty Pink intercepted a pass at center ice, moved into the offensive zone and wristed in her first collegiate goal for a 1-0 Neumann lead. Two minutes later, Hilbert tied the game on a 2 on 1 break. With 2:19 left in the period, they added another goal after a smart pass from behind the net, giving them the lead after 20 minutes.
Neumann answered the Hawks' strong finish of the first with an important start of the second. At the 3:35 mark,
Sammie Haun slipped in her second goal of the year after receiving a pass from
Paige Russell. The second assist went to
Gia Santorello as the game was tied at two. Hilbert retook the lead with 11:43 left in the middle frame as a point shot snuck through traffic. They doubled the lead at 14:32 to lead 4-2 but
Alyssa Papasodero moved the puck in from the corner and scored her first goal of the season.
The Knights pressured throughout the early stages of the third period but couldn't find the breakthrough until the 12:03 mark.
Chloe Ballew, with a delayed penalty against Hilbert, found a rebound in front and lifted in her third of the season, tying the game at four. After the ensuing faceoff,
Marissa Rumsey worked a pass to
Harper Oakes who moved into the faceoff circle and rifled a shot off the crossbar and in for her second goal of the year, and the eventual game-winner.
Haun led the Knights with 10 shots on goal and a 14-3 record in the face-off circle. Ballew took six shots while Santorello and Papasodero took five each. Rumsey was also strong at the draw winning eight of 10.
Noelle Woodard, in addition to the secondary assist on the game-winning goal, made 16 saves.
Neumann (3-8) will again host Hilbert College tomorrow afternoon at 2:00 PM.
