CASTLETON, VT. - The Saint Anselm men's ice hockey team opened their season on the road this evening with an ECAC East conference game against the Castleton State College Spartans.  In a gritty, back-and-forth battle, the Hawks came out victorious, taking the season opener by a score of 4-3.  Head coach Ed Seney picked up his 100th career win with Saint Anselm in tonight's defeat of the Spartans.

After a scoreless first period, Castleton's Lindsey Gullett (Wawanesa, Man.) put the Spartans on the board at just 1:02 in the second, scoring a short-handed goal, assisted by Josh Harris (Torrance, Calif.).  Three minutes later, freshman Mike Richard (Derry, N.H.) responded with his first career goal, assisted by junior Ryan Butler (Arlington, Mass.).  At 6:48 in the period, Butler added a short-handed goal of his own, assisted by team captain Coleman Noonan (Norfolk, Mass.), to give the Hawks their first lead of the game, 2-1.  At 10:04, Stuart Stefan (Delhi, Ont.) tied the game with a power play goal, but just 46 seconds later, freshman Tucker Mullin (Andover, Mass.) took back the Hawks' lead with his first career goal, assisted by junior Paul Snell (Groton, Mass.). 

After five goals were scored in 10 minutes, the next 15 were scoreless, but at 5:45 in the third period, sophomore Nick Rossi (Smithtown, N.Y.) gave the Hawks their fourth goal of the game, assisted by Mike Richard, to secure the Hawks' lead for good.  Just over a minute later, Kirk Bolduc (Lewiston, Maine) got one back, but the Spartans were unable to complete the comeback, as the Hawks' took a season-opening 4-3 victory over Castleton State.

The Hawks outshot the Spartans 34-27 in the game.  Hawk goaltender Alex Wyse (Amherst, N.Y.) made 24 saves, and his Spartan counterpart, Seth McNary (Woburn, Mass.), turned aside 30 shots.  The Hawks return to action tomorrow evening, when they travel to Saratoga Springs, N.Y. to take on the Skidmore College Thoroughbreds beginning at 4:00 pm.