HARTFORD, CONN. -- The Saint Anselm men's ice hockey team travelled to Hartford, Conn., this evening to take on the Trinity College Bantams in an inter-conference game. The Hawks took the lead late in the first and held onto it, skating to a 5-3 defeat of the Bantams.  The win lifts the Hawks to 8-6-1 (6-5-1 ECAC East), while the Bantams fall to 9-6-2 (6-4-2 ECAC East).

The Bantams took the first lead, as Joe Tierney (Reading, Mass.) netted a power-play goal just 3:09 into the first period.  Coleman Noonan (Norfolk, Mass.) then shot in an unassisted goal at 9:22, to tie the game at one.  At 16:41, freshman Mike Richard (Derry, N.H.) gave the Hawks a 2-1 lead, knocking in a power-play goal of his own.

At 5:51 in the second period, Noonan scored a second breakaway goal, netting the Hawks' conference-leading seventh shorthanded goal of the season. At 13:23, Michael DeVita (Annandale, N.J.) scored his third goal of the season, to give the Hawks a 4-1 lead.

Three and a half minutes later, Richard Hollstein (Pembroke, Mass.) started a comeback for the Bantams, which was continued by Jeffrey Menard (Burlington, Mass.) seven minutes into the third period, to bring the Bantams within one.  However at 19:29 in the third, Timothy King (Weymouth, Mass.) scored an empty-net goal to secure the Hawks a 5-3 victory.

Northeast-10 Goalie of the Week Alex Wyse (Amherst, N.Y.) made 35 saves in the game, earning his fourth win of the season.  Wesley Vesprini (Lexington, Mass.) stopped 27 shots and allowed the first four goals, taking the loss.

The Hawks return to action tomorrow afternoon, when they travel to Middletown, Conn., to take on the Wesleyan University Cardinals at 3:00 pm.