The women's ice hockey team snapped a four game losing streak with a 5-3 come-from-behind win Friday night, followed by a 3-3 tie Saturday against the Neumann College Knights at the Milford Ice Pavilion to bring its record to 1-6-2.

Forward Gina Arnone scored a pair of goals and assisted on two others, while forward Michelle Panella added a goal and three assists Friday to lead Sacred Heart University to victory.

Panella got the Pioneers on the board first with a goal at 2:43 of the first period, with assists from forward Katelin McLaughlin and Arnone. But Neumann evened the score just 19 seconds before the intermission with a power play goal.

The Knights took a 2-1 lead 4:20 into the second frame on another power play goal. They added a third goal no more than a minute later to provide a two goal lead.

The Pioneers than began to show signs of life in the end of the second period, as many of the 113 fans in attendance began to erupt.

Sacred Heart collected a power play goal from Arnone with help from Panella to cut Neumann College's lead to 3-2. Forward Sarah Turbert dramatically tied the score with another power play goal at 9:12.

Arnone put the Pioneers ahead for good with her second tally, coming on a pass from Panella. Defenseman Kristina Feltz gave SHU a 5-3 lead near the end of third period, with assists from Arnone and Panella, to ensure the win.

"It was an action-filled game, one of the more exciting games of the year," Turbert, a senior from Norwalk, said. "We sat back after a 1-0 lead and let Neuman come on a little bit, but we then stepped it up and changed the pace of the game to one that suited our speed."

The Neumann Knights looked for revenge as these two teams battled again Saturday.

McLaughlin put the Pioneers on the board while shorthanded with six seconds to go in the first period. After Lauren Voran stopped Panella's shot from the upper slot, McLaughlin crashed the net and slipped the puck through the pads of the Neumann Knights goaltender for her third goal of the season.

Arnone provided the Pioneers with a two-goal lead seven minutes into the second period. After taking a pass from Jane Auxier, out of the corner, Arnone flipped a wrist shot past the opposing goaltender for her fifth goal of the year.

With eight minutes to go in the second, Panella scored her team-leading seventh goal off a pass from Arnone.

However, the Knights answered back just 30 seconds later as they scored a goal to pull within one. They scored again to tie the game late in the third.

Neither team had a good scoring opportunity in the extra session.

"Saturday night was very disappointing. It's so frustrating to think you won the game, and with 23 seconds left you have it all taken away," Alexis Dedousis, a freshmen right wing from Scotch Plains, N.J., said.

Despite the heartbreaker on Saturday, the Pioneers are very optimistic about their current season.

"Each year we have gotten better and this year's team is a reflection of that." Nicole Farrelly, a senior defenseman from Windsor, said. "We are looking to be huge offensively with the freshmen we have, and for our veteran players to come up huge both offensively and defensively."

The team has made noticeable improvement from last year, and really is looking to develop its young recruits.

"This team works very hard in practice and as we continue to build this program, we are going to have some peaks and valleys." head coach Thomas O'Malley said. "As we get stronger, we are going to see less of those valleys. We just need to keep focus and much success will come to us."