ASTON, Pa. ­­– Owen Ames recorded a hat trick, and Reece McDonald also tallied three points, as the Lebanon Valley College men's ice hockey team battled until the final minute while dropping a 7-5 contest to Neumann University in its Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) opener on Friday, Nov. 7, at Ice Works Rink #3. 

The Knights quickly opened the scoring, taking a 1-0 lead 33 seconds into the game on a goal by Jake Barkley. The Dutchmen answered right back 15 seconds later, tying things up at 1-1. The program evened the score on a goal by Ames, courtesy of an assist by McDonald. Neumann followed this with a shot on goal at the 2:27 mark, which resulted in goaltender Chris Branch making a save for LVC. The Knights found the net again 3:59 into the first period, taking a 2-1 advantage on a goal by Zack Smith. Lebanon Valley promptly responded at the 5:15 mark, tying the game at 2-2 on another goal by Ames. McDonald and Jesse Shogan were credited with the assists on the squad's second goal of the night.

Neumann scored again on a power-play goal by Smith at the 5:46 mark, and a goal by Nokolai Tishkevich at the 6:18 mark, taking a 4-2 lead. Lebanon Valley also kept battling, putting another point on the board to narrow the score to 4-3 at the 7:49 mark. The team made it a one-goal contest when Ames netted his third goal of the evening. Back on the defensive end, Branch came through with three saves for the Flying Dutchmen within 47 seconds in the 10th minute while each program had four skaters on the ice. Lukas Washco also contributed to the efforts during this stretch, blocking a shot attempt at the 10:02 mark. 

Lebanon Valley found the net again 11:12 into the first period, tying the game at 4-4. The program knotted things up on a short-handed goal by McDonald, following an assist by Max Kontir. The Knights remained on the power play after the goal, and Branch delivered a pair of saves within seven seconds in the 13th minute during a successful penalty kill for the Dutchmen. LVC then generated some offensive opportunities, as Troy Andrews put a shot on goal that was saved at the 15:06 mark, while Joey Pankowski had a try saved at the 16:05 mark, and Jordan Stear's attempt was saved at the 17:39 mark. The Flying Dutchmen began another successful penalty kill at the 18:00 mark, as Branch made four more stops while Ian Lindberg and Tanner Tolliver each blocked a shot during the final two minutes of the first. 

The programs kept competing when the second period began, as each team put two shots on goal that were saved within the first 2:35. Neumann then went on a power play in the third minute, and Dylan Miller blocked a shot at the 3:28 mark before Branch posted stops at the 3:58 and 4:28 marks in a successful penalty kill for Lebanon Valley. The Dutchmen also continued to create scoring chances as the frame went on, as Ames had a shot saved at the 6:48 mark during a power play. This was followed by Branch registering more saves for LVC at the 9:16 and 10:51 marks. 

Lebanon Valley's offense later generated some more opportunities, as Kontir, Anton Petrovskiy, McDonald, and Cade Helmer each put a shot on target that was saved within 20 seconds in the 12th minute. The Flying Dutchmen then broke the tie 14:24 into the second period, claiming a 5-4 lead. The program went ahead on a power-play goal by Miller after an assist by John King. Back on the defensive end, Branch recorded more saves for LVC at the 14:35 and 17:03 marks. Miller also blocked a shot for the Dutchmen at the 18:29 mark, helping limit the opposition. 

The Knights took the first shot of the third period at the 2:25 mark, which resulted in Branch delivering another save for the Flying Dutchmen. Lebanon Valley also kept tallying shots, as Ames had an attempt saved at the 3:53 mark, while Helmer and Petrovskiy each had a shot saved within 18 seconds in the fifth minute. Neumann then scored 5:20 into the third frame, tying the contest at 5-5 on a goal by Matt Dimaline. The Knights followed this with more shots, but Branch came through with stops for LVC at the 5:59 and 6:21 marks, while Artur Kondrashov and Garret Jackson each blocked a shot within seven seconds in the seventh minute. Branch later logged more saves at the 8:34, 8:44, and 9:36 marks. 

Neumann found the net 9:53 into the third period, taking a 6-5 advantage on a goal by Smith. The programs proceeded to go back and forth defensively until Branch registered a save for Lebanon Valley at the 13:21 mark. Later in the frame, while the Dutchmen were on a successful penalty kill, Branch made a pair of stops within 29 seconds in the 18th minute. The goaltender also recorded two saves within three seconds in the 19th minute. LVC's offense continued to battle as well, as McDonald put a shot on goal that was saved with 27 seconds remaining. The Knights then added a tally on a goal by Lucas Culhane with one second left, prompting 7-5 to be the final score. 

Inside the Box Score

• Ames scored a season-high three goals for a season-high three points. The first-year player was the first member of the Dutchmen to record three or more goals in a game since Brett Johnson netted five goals and Bryan Hovanec scored three goals in LVC's 8-4 victory at Chatham on Dec. 8, 2018. 
• McDonald logged three points with his first goal of the year and a career-high two assists, which tied a game-high. The senior's goal marked his first career short-handed goal. 
• Miller scored his second goal of the campaign while tying a game-high two blocks on the defensive end. 
• Shogan tallied his first career point with an assist on the second goal by Ames. The first-year player also blocked a shot on the defensive end. 
• Kontir dished out an assist on McDonald's goal, while winning 10 faceoffs.
• King assisted Miller's goal. 
• Branch made 31 saves.
• Lebanon Valley recorded 21 shots on goal.
• Ames led the program with five shots on target. 
• Defensively, the Flying Dutchmen had a 15-8 advantage in blocked shots. 
• Stear, Washco, Lindberg, and Jackson tied a game-high two blocks.
• LVC tallied 30 faceoff victories. 
• Tolliver won eight faceoffs and blocked a shot. 

Up Next
The Dutchmen will return to the ice tomorrow, Saturday, Nov. 8, at 4 p.m., when the team will take on the Knights again at Ice Works Rink #3.

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