WALTHAM, Mass. – Junior Richelle Davis (Enfield, Conn.) notched her first goal of the season for an early 1-0 lead, but the 10th-ranked Saint Anselm College field hockey team lost to Bentley University, 3-1, Tuesday evening at Bentley Field.
The Hawks drop their third straight to fall to 5-4 on the season, including 1-3 in Northeast-10 play, while the Falcons improve to 6-5, 2-2 NE-10.
Davis staked Saint Anselm to a 1-0 advantage 13:42 into the contest when she put the ball past Bentley goalkeeper Katie Kelley from in close after a scramble in front of the cage.
A defensive save by freshman Mia Vecchione (Chelmsford, Mass.) maintained the Saint Anselm advantage less than five minutes later, but Leah Winter scored off a pass from Gina Lirange 8:01 after Davis' tally to knot the game at 1.
The game looked to be going to halftime in a 1-1 stalemate, but Kelsey Howard beat sophomore goalkeeper Katherine Sears (Northboro, Mass.) with a point-blank shot to lift the Falcons into the lead at 2-1 just 4:02 before the break.
The contest remained that way into the 63rd minute when Becca Moore set up a Tori Ellis strike that expanded the Falcon lead to 3-1. A pair of Saint Anselm penalty corners over the following three minutes forced Kelley to make two saves, but Bentley was able to stave off any threat down the stretch.
Sears made six saves, while Kelley stopped four shots. Sophomore Elizabeth Alie (Franklin, Mass.) came up with Saint Anselm's first of two defensive save in the sixth minute.
Bentley outshot Saint Anselm, 13-10, including 8-4 in the opening stanza. The Falcons also held a 6-3 advantage in penalty corners in the second half, which led to an 8-5 overall margin.
The Hawks return to action Saturday, Oct. 25 at noon when they play host to crosstown rival Southern New Hampshire University at Grappone Stadium in the first meeting ever between the two programs. Stay up-to-date with the latest news, including game previews and recaps, directly from the Saint Anselm College athletic department by liking us on Facebook and following us on Twitter @STAHawks.
