Manchester, N.H. (September 18, 2004)—Saint Anselm scored a pair of defensive touchdowns as the Hawks defeated Pace University, 28-13 in a Northeast-10 Conference home opener at Grappone Stadium on Saturday.

The win moves Saint Anselm to 3-0 overall, 2-0 in the NE-10 and marks the first time that the Hawks have started a season at 3-0. The Hawks have also won six straight dating back to last season and have defeated the Setters (0-3, 0-3 NE-10) in four straight games.

The Hawks' defense harassed Pace QB Mike Timmerman (Saddle Brook , N.J. ), sacking the junior signal caller eight times and recording a total of 16 tackles for a loss of 66 yards. After allowing 112 yards in the first quarter, Saint Anselm allowed just 93 yards the rest of the game. Brian Sundell (N. Easton , Mass. / Oliver Ames) led the effort with 15 total tackles, an interception and a forced fumble while DE David Heiner (Farmington , Conn. / Farmington ) has 12 tackles, 2.5 for a loss and a sack.  

Michael Garcarz lays out to pull down a juggled pass in the third quarter Saturday.  

The two teams combined for 11 turnovers in a game played in monsoon-like rainfall with the Hawks committing six and Pace coughing up the ball five times. Saint Anselm turned the ball over in five of its first seven possessions of the game as the Setters capitalized by taking a 13-0 lead on a pair of touchdown runs from Reuben Sullins (New Rochelle, N.Y.).

rom that point on however, the Saint Anselm defense dominated and as the second half turned to sunshine, momentum turned the Hawks' way.

A nine-yard touchdown run from Derek DiMartino (Amherst , N.H. / UMass Amherst) with 10:46 to play in the third gave the Hawks a 14-13 lead. On the Setters' ensuing possession, Sundell picked off a pass deflected by Mark Wysocki (New Britain , Conn. / New Britain ) and ran 40 yards for a touchdown. The day's scoring was finished on an 18-yard interception returned for a touchdown by Anthony Barese (Braintree , Mass. / Braintree ) early in the fourth quarter.

Saint Anselm had got on the board with 5:39 to play in the second on a 28-yard scoring strike from Shane Dinagen (Harrisville , R.I. ./ Burrillville) to Kevin Lukas (Rocky Hill, Conn. / Rocky Hill). DiMartino, who entered the game as the nation's fourth-leading rusher, finished with 93 yards on 26 carries as his string of 100-yard rushing games cam e to an end at five.

Also showing well for the Hawks' defense was Craig Landri (New Canaan, Conn./ New Canaan ), who had 2.5 sacks with Thomas Kelleher (Wakefield , Mass. / Wakefield) contributing seven tackles, three of them coming for a loss.

Ray Padilla (Bronx , N.Y. ) had two interceptions and Anthony DeMauro (Yonkers , N.Y. ) recovered two fumbles for the Setters.

Saint Anselm returns to action next Saturday as the Hawks travel to Brookville , N.Y. for a Northeast-10 Conference game at C.W. Post.