WILKES-BARRE – The Wilkes University women's ice hockey team opened the 2021-2022 season with a United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) battle against Neumann University at the Toyota SportsPlex Friday evening, falling 5-4.

Wilkes falls to 0-1-0 overall and in the league while Neumann improved to 1-2-0 overall and 1-0-0 in the UCHC. The four goals for the Colonels tied for the second most during a game in program history. The Knights used the strength of three power play goals to earn the victory.

Neumann opened the scoring 4:21 into the game but Wilkes answered just over a minute later when sophomore Kiera Lacombe (Buckeye, AZ/) scored her first career goal with a shot from center ice that found its way past the Knights goaltender. First year Emma Guzdek (Amherst, NY) recorded her first career point with the assists.

Wilkes gained its first lead when Julie Patterson (Trenton, NJ) netted a goal off an assist from Abigail Barcless (Hamilton, NJ/) 15:21 into the first period. The Knights answered about a minute later with their first power play goal. With 1:42 left in the first period the Colonels went ahead again as Guzdek scored her first career goal as she took the puck up the left side of the ice from the Colonels defensive end and beat the goaltender. First year Sofia Niemela (Santa Barbara, CA) recorded her first career point with an assist while Lacombe had the second assist as Wilkes led 3-2 at the first intermission.

Neumann tied the game on the power play 2:08 into the second period and took a 4-3 lead about five minutes later with a shorthanded goal.

The score stayed the same until 4:49 remaining in the third period when the Knights scored for the third time on the man advantage. The Colonels closed the gap to one goal with 1:31 left when Rachel Morey (Buffalo, WY/) stole the puck at the Wilkes blue line and proceeded in on a breakaway, beating the goaltender to make the score 5-4 with a shorthanded goal. Wilkes pulled the goaltender with 54 seconds remaining and were able to produce two shot attempts but were unable to find the tying goal.

Lacombe and Guzdek finished with two-point games for the Colonels while Valerie Koenig (Arlington, TX/) was a plus-4. Guzdek, Patterson, Morey, and Kendall Castro (Killingworth, CT/) all finished plus-2. Patterson led Wilkes with seven shots on goal while Morey had six.

Katelyn Brown and Georgi Rowland each scored twice for the Knights while Georgia Wunder, Sid Squires, and Mikaylee Henhawk each had three points.

Allyson Joly (Lincoln, RI) made 29 saves for the Colonels while Michelle Windand-Bacon earned the win with 28 saves.

Neumann held a 34-32 shots on goal advantage and 34-23 lead in faceoff wins. Each team was called for six penalties in the game.

The two teams will square off again at the Toyota SportsPlex tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. for another UCHC meeting.