GENESEO, N.Y. – SUNY Geneseo junior forward Stephen Collins notched his second-consecutive two-goal performance, but it was visiting Neumann making up a three-goal deficit to earn the 5-5 draw, Friday night.
Leading, 5-2, with 4:15 left in the second period, Geneseo (9-3-3) saw the visitors net three unanswered goals the rest of the way to earn the tie.
First-year goalie Devin McDonald was credited with a career-high 41 saves for Geneseo.
Geneseo took control early with two goals in the first four minutes of action. First-year Brodie Tutton opened the scoring at 16:48 before Collins netted his first tally on a wrister from the left face-off circle at 15:59.
Neuman responded with two goals in a stretch of less than six minutes to even the game with 6:00 to play. Sophomore forward Mike Davis converted a power-play opportunity at 11:41 before sophomore forward Liam Board added one of his own on a tough angle shot from the right corner. However, it was sophomore forward Sotiris Athanasopoulos taking a back door pass from junior forward Connor Anthoine and scoring inside a wide-open right post from close range to put the home team up, 3-2, at the first intermission.
Geneseo build a 5-2 lead in the second half after Collins finished off a power-play opportunity at 12:01 before senior forward Ryan Donnelly scored at 4:15 for the three-goal edge.
Neumann started its comeback on a tally by junior forward Shane Topf from close range after taking a left-faceoff circle feed with 2:50 left in the second period. In the third period, Neumann scored twice in the final 4:32 of regulation to force the eventual draw.
Geneseo entered the week ranked 12th in the d3hockey.com national poll and 13th in the latest USCHO.com rankings. Neumann stood 14th in the d3hockey and was receiving votes in USCHO.
Geneseo plays its final non-league contest on Saturday, hosting Division II Franklin Pierce in a 4:00 p.m. matinee at Wilson Ice Arena.
