MANCHESTER, N.H. – Senior Colleen Sears (Danvers, Mass.) scored her team-leading sixth goal of the season to stake the Saint Anselm College field hockey team to an early lead in an eventual 4-0 blanking of Mercy College in non-conference action Sunday afternoon at Grappone Stadium.
STANDOUT PERFORMERS
- Sears, sophomores Katie Neyland (Boxborough, Mass.) and Emma Kincaid (W. Bridgewater, Mass.), as well as freshman Anna Drakeley (Woodbury, Conn.), all scored goals for the Hawks.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Sears, who capped the scoring in Saint Anselm's 2-0 win against LIU Post on Saturday evening, began the fireworks Sunday early in the ninth minute when she received a thru-ball from sophomore Allia Connolly (Westford, Mass.) and reversed her stick before sweeping it past the right side of Mercy goalkeeper Julia Amell.
- The Hawks doubled their lead at the beginning of the 21st minute when sophomore Mia Vecchione (Chelmsford, Mass.) injected the ball off a penalty corner and Neyland tucked a blast from the top of the circle just inside the left post.
- Saint Anselm stretched the lead to 3-0 just 59 seconds later when Kincaid, who scored the game-winning goal Saturday, sent a shot from the right side that deflected off a Mercy defender and past Amell for her fifth goal of the season.
- Drakely capped the first-half scoring late in the 31st minute when she received a pass from junior Kelsey Leblanc (Londonderry, N.H.) on her right and sent a rocket into the back of the net for the first goal of her career.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Junior goalkeeper Katherine Sears (Northboro, Mass.) made three saves in the first 40:09 of action, while freshman Sarah Bentley (Acton, Mass.) turned away the only shot she faced over the final 29:51. Amell made three saves in the first 40:09, with Olivia Kelly piling up 10 stops in the last 29:51 for Mercy.
- Saint Anselm outshot the Mavericks, 23-5, including 15-1 in a scoreless second half, and held a 10-4 advantage in corners, including 7-2 in the opening stanza.
NOTES
- Saint Anselm extends its program record-best start to 8-1.
- The Hawks post their second straight shutout and have now allowed just three total goals in their last five contests dating back to Sept. 19 and spanning 350:00.
UP NEXT
- The Hawks return to action Wednesday, Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. when they play host to Bentley University at Grappone.
- Saint Anselm is home for their first five games of the season and eight of their first 10.
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