MANCHESTER, N.H. – Junior Elizabeth Sears (Danvers, Mass.) scored with 3:30 left in regulation to force overtime and then scored just 2:09 into the extra session to lift the Saint Anselm College field hockey team to a 2-1 victory against Saint Michael's College in its Northeast-10 opener Tuesday afternoon at Grappone Stadium.
The Hawks earn just their third win in the 17-game series with Saint Michael's to improve to 3-5 on the season and 1-0 in Northeast-10 play. The Purple Knights drop to 1-7, 0-2 NE-10. This was the fourth straight 2-1 game in the series, the fifth overtime match and the 10th one-goal game, including the fifth straight. This marks the first time ever that Saint Anselm has won two games in a three-game stretch against Saint Michael's.
The two teams played to a 0-0 tie after one half of play before the Purple Knights jumped on the board in the 44th minute. After a scrum in front of the Saint Anselm cage, Julia Heald slid a pass from right to left for Kelly Celata, who put the ball into the empty left side of the cage after senior Megan Sullivan (Braintree, Mass.) had come out to play Heald.
It looked like the Hawks might be shut out for the second time this season, including the second straight game, but midway through the 67th minute, senior Kristina Katsikis (Hanover, Mass.) penetrated to the front of the cage before dishing to the right for Sears, who put the ball just inside the right post to tie the contest.
The Hawks controlled overtime, never letting the ball out of the Saint Michael's end, and then put the game away in almost identical fashion to how they tied it. Katsikis this time sent the pass from right to left and Sears put it past Saint Michael's goalkeeper Jackie Chisholm to give the Hawks the win.
Sullivan made two saves in the first 56:14 of action, while freshman Shauna Whittemore (Bennington, N.H.) did not see a shot, but played the final 15:55 to earn her first collegiate victory. Chisholm did not make a save.
Saint Anselm held a 9-8 advantage in both shots and penalty corners.
The Hawks return to action Sunday, Sept. 23 at noon when they travel to take on national-ranked Merrimack College. The next home game for the Hawks is Saturday, Sept. 29 at 1 p.m. when they play host to Assumption College at Grappone Stadium. Stay up-to-date with the latest news, including game previews and recaps, directly from the Saint Anselm College athletic department by friending us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/STAHawks) and following us on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/STAHawks).
