DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. – Sophomore Kelsey Leblanc (Londonderry, N.H.) scored her second goal in as many days to jump-start the offense and help send the Saint Anselm College field hockey team to a 3-0 win against Mercy College on Sunday afternoon at Mavericks Field.
The Hawks, who were 4-3 winners at Kutztown on Saturday, open the season 2-0 for the first time since 2003. The Mavericks begin their season at 0-1.
It didn't always look like it would be smooth sailing for Saint Anselm, however, as it wasn't until the 47th minute that the visitors jumped on the board.
"We had a plethora of scoring opportunities in the first half and just couldn't convert," head coach Carolyn King said. "I'm proud of the team for staying patient and playing with poise. We were able to break it open in the second half. This is a great way to start the season with two wins on the road."
With the contest still scoreless 11:15 into the second half, the Hawks used one of their 13 penalty corners to produce a goal. Sophomore Rose Mooney (North Attleborough, Mass.) crossed the ball from the right of the circle to her classmate on the left before Leblanc batted the ball past Mercy goalkeeper Olivia Kelly and into the right side of the net.
Saint Anselm doubled its lead in the 61st minute when junior Colleen Sears (Danvers, Mass.) gathered a loose rebound and slid a quick pass to classmate Taylor Coons (Manchester- by-the-Sea, Mass.), who found the back of the cage from close range to make it 2-0.
An all-freshmen goal just 1:57 later all but sealed the game as Allia Connolly (Westford, Mass.) found Jackie Guillemette (No. Waterboro, Maine), following a give-and-go off a corner, to make it 3-0 with 7:42 remaining.
Sophomore Katherine Sears (Northboro, Mass.), who made 12 saves Saturday, turned aside the only shot she faced for the second shutout of her career. Kelly stopped five shots for Mercy.
The Hawks held a 16-10 advantage in shots, including 8-3 in the opening stanza, and owned a 13-7 margin in corners, matching the first-half shot advantage at 8-3.
The Hawks came out of the first half still even with the Mavericks despite playing on the wrong end of an 11 vs. 9 stretch for nearly four minutes after picking up consecutive five-minute yellow cards in a span of 1:01.
The Hawks return to action Saturday, Sept. 13 at 1 p.m. when they open their home slate by playing host to Merrimack 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 liking us on Facebook and following us on Twitter @STAHawks.
