Manchester, N.H.(November 22)-- The Saint Anselm College men's ice hockey team won their second game in a row with a 3-2 victory over the Castleton State College Spartans at Sullivan Arena on Saturday afternoon. The Hawks improved to 2-0-0 overall and in ECAC standings play with the win.

Following a fast-paced, hard-hitting half of a period, the Spartans got on the scoreboard first with a wrist-shot goal by senior forward Ross Carmichael at 10:28 in the first period with assists from freshman defenseman Tom Carroll and freshman forward Jeremy Hilliard.    

However, the Hawks would come back to tie the game at 6:38 in the second period when captain Tom Kerwin (Whitman, Mass.) put it past the Spartan goaltender for a power play goal. Kerwin now has a goal in each of the Hawks' first two games.

Sophomore forward Coleman Noonan (Norfolk, Mass.) and senior defenseman Brian Hartigan (Saugus, Mass.) assisted Kerwin on the goal.

Less than two minutes after the Hawks' first goal, tensions flared up on the ice as Kerwin and Spartan junior forward Nick Shackford received five-minute fighting majors with automatic game misconducts.

Other penalties resulted in a power play for the Spartans, but the Hawks killed all Spartan scoring chances.

When five-on-five play resumed, the Hawks kept the momentum on their side when sophomore forward Coleman Noonan recorded his second goal of the season at 12:12 in the period. Sophomore forward Zachery Feiden (Delray, Fla.) assisted on the goal. That was Feiden's first assist on the young season.

The Hawks continued to build onto their lead late in the second period as senior defenseman Mike Nunzianto (Guilford, Conn.) scored his first goal of the season on a slap shot from the point. Senior forward Joe Fernald (Braintree, Mass.) assisted on the goal that gave the Hawks a 3-1 advantage heading into the third period.  

The Spartans added another goal late in the third period, but the Hawks held on for the 3-2 victory.

Sophomore goaltender Alex Wyse (mherst, N.Y.) had another stellar performance in net for the Hawks making 38 saves including 17 in the third period to give him his second win on the year. Jeff Swanson made 17 saves on 20 shots in the losing effort for the Spartans.

The Hawks hit the ice again Tuesday, Dec. 2, as they will travel to NE-10 rival Assumption College in Worcester, Mass. for a 7:30 p.m. start.

(Story by Michael Atkinson, Saint Anselm Crier)