ASTON, Pa.- The Neumann University men's ice hockey team defeated Stevenson University 5-4 in overtime to win the 2026 Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Championship.
 
Zack Smith scored the game winner with 10:44 left in the first overtime to give the Knights their first MAC Championship. It's Neumann's first conference championship since winning the ECAC West in the 2012-13 season. Smith was named the tournament MVP.
 
The Knights opened the scoring with the lone goal in the first period. Matt Dimaline stole the puck and backhanded the puck into the net midway through the period for a 1-0 Neumann lead.
 
Max Donohoe put the Knights up 2-0 with a power play goal 2:17 into the second period. Dimaline and Sonny DiNubile drew the assists. About two minutes later, Jake Barkley gave Neumann a 3-0 lead off a pass from Smith.
 
Stevenson was not going to go quietly. The Mustangs got on the board midway through the second period. Late in the second period, the Knights found themselves in the penalty box and the Mustangs took advantage. Stevenson tallied a 5-on-3 goal with 1:51 left in the second. The Mustangs tied the game at three 16 seconds later with another power play goal.
 
The Mustangs took their first lead of the game at the 13:19 mark of the third when they stole the puck in the Knights defensive zone and put the back of the net for a 4-3 edge. With 3:46 left in regulation, Dustin Patterson tied the game at four off a pass from Niko Tishkevich. The teams finished regulation knotted at four.
 
Christian Green made 21 saves in net, including two in overtime, to help the Knights clinch the win.
 
Neumann (17-8-2) will wait for the NCAA Tournament announcement tomorrow evening to see its next stop. This is the first trip back to the NCAA Tournament for the Knights since the 2010-11 season.