Pleasantville, N.Y. (October 6, 2001)-The Saint Anselm football team used a big ground game and a suffocating defense to earn its first-ever victory over Pace University, 43-20 in a Northeast-10 Conference game at Finnerty Field on Saturday.

Saint Anselm improves to 3-3 overall, 3-3 in NE-10 play with its second-straight win. Pace falls to 2-2 overall, 2-2 in NE-10 play after its second-straight loss.

Saint Anselm used 378 all purpose yards including 274 on the ground while its much-maligned defense came to play, limiting a powerful Pace running game to just 146 yards of total offense.

Reigning Division II Gold Helmet Award winner Justin Peledge (Wakefield, Mass./ Malden Catholic) found his way into the endzone again this week. He took a 66-yard interception back to give the Hawks a 23-7 seven lead after Pace's Brian Holshek (Newburgh, N.Y.) had put his team on the board with a 100-yard interception return for a TD. Peledge also finished the day as Saint Anselm's leading tackler with nine total.

Freshman Ryan Kajander (Portsmouth, N.H./ Portsmouth) scored his first two collegiate touchdowns with an impressive showing in the second half. He finished the day with 91 yards on just eight carries (11.4 yard average). Brian Martinelli (Holliston, Mass./ Holliston) also scored his first career touchdown with a 39-yard scamper in the fourth quarter.

Saint Anselm took advantage of several Pace turnovers, building a 16-0 lead after one quarter of play. The Setters fumbled the opening kickoff and Jon Turner (Foxboro, Mass./ Foxboro) finished off a 19-yard drive with a one-yard plunge to open the scoring.

Three drives later, after a Pace fumble and a botched punt attempt, Erol Senel (S. Euclid, Ohio/ Benedictine) banged home field goals of 24, 26, and 37 yards to give the Hawks a 16-0 lead. It was the first three field goal game of Senel's career. In fact, Senel had never made more than three field goals in a single season prior to this campaign. Senel's strong right leg has produced six out of seven attempts this season.

Pace came roaring back after Saint Anselm had driven 68 yards to the Pace three-yard line where quarterback Keith Comeau (Marblehead, Mass./ Marblehead) was picked off at the goal line by Holshek, who took the ball the length of the field.

Shining for Saint Anselm on defense was sophomore Joe Ferrulle (Marshfield, Mass./ Marshfield), who was playing his first game on the defensive line due to a myriad of injuries. Ferrulle totaled six tackles, four coming for a loss, 2.5 sacks for a loss of 20 yards (the first of his career), and also recovered a fumble.

Saint Anselm returns to action next Saturday when the Hawks host NE-10 foe Bryant College in a 1:00 PM kickoff on Homecoming Weekend.