Hooksett, N.H. (February 10)-The Saint Anselm College men's ice hockey team clinched the top seed in the Northeast-10 Conference Championship with a 5-2 victory over the Penman of Southern New Hampshire on Tuesday night at the Ice Den. The win improves the Hawks to 8-11-1 overall and 4-0 in NE-10 play, while the Penmen moved to 6-11-1 overall and 2-2 in conference play.

The Hawks hit the scoreboard first when senior captain Tom Kerwin (Whitman, Mass.) scored off a rebound from Nick Rossi (Smithtown, N.Y.) to make it 1-0 Saint Anselm. Southern N.H. tied it up at the 17:24 mark on a goal from Penmen forward Troy Maybury (South Portland, Maine). Less than a minute later the Hawks took the lead right back on a goal from sophomore forward Michael Adams (Bedford, Mass.). Senior captain Joe Fernald (Braintree, Mass.) was credited with an assist with a nice cross ice pass to give Adams a wide open look at the net.

In the second period Saint Anselm extended their lead to 3-1 on a score by sophomore forward Paul Snell (Groton, Mass.) who beat Penmen goaltender Todd Rowley (Billerica, Mass.) top shelf. The assist again went to Fernald who lead Snell with a nice pass to give him a breakaway. Before the second period was over, the Hawks added another on a goal by sophomore forward Ryan Butler (Arlington, Mass.) to make it 4-1. Butler scored off a rebound from senior forward Matt Lowe (Stoughton, Mass.) at the 19:34 mark.

Southern N.H. made it interesting on a goal from Maybury at the 11:08 mark in the final period. But the Hawks would have the last word as senior defenseman Mike Nunzianto (Guilford, Conn.) would add an empty netter to clinch the game and give the Hawks a 5-2 NE-10 victory.

Hawks goaltender Kevin Fairweather (Woburn, Mass.) made 24 saves, including 14 in the third period, to pick up his second win in as many games, while Rowley made 21 saves and allowed four goals in the losing effort.

The Hawks return to action, Friday, February 13th, when they will host Amherst College at 7 p.m. at Sullivan Arena.