MANCHESTER, N.H. – Junior Erin Collins' (Auburn, Mass.) first goal of the season proved to be the game-winning goal as the #8 Saint Anselm College field hockey team edged cross-town rival Southern New Hampshire University, 2-1, on Wednesday night in a Northeast-10 Conference matchup at Grappone Stadium in Manchester, N.H.
Box Score
The Hawks have now won six-straight games to improve to 6-1 overall and 2-0 in the NE-10, while the Penmen drop to 2-4 and 0-3 in league games. Saint Anselm returns to action on Saturday afternoon as they dip out of league play with a 5 p.m. meeting against St. Thomas Aquinas.
Southern New Hampshire had the first chance of the game as Laura Van der Doorn dribbled down the left side of the sideline and laced a backhanded shot on net. Saint Anselm goalie Katherine Sears (Northboro, Mass.) stuck out her left blocker and deflected the shot wide of its mark to keep it a 0-0 game in the early going.
After an extended possession by the Penmen in the 30th minute, the Hawks were able to reverse fields and take a 1-0 lead in the match. Leika Scott (Falmouth, Maine) played a ball into the circle that found the stick of Emma Kincaid (West Bridgewater, Mass.) and she tipped it over the head of the keeper to put Saint Anselm in front 1-0.
With just under 13 minutes to play in regulation, SNHU had a chance at an equalizer, but Sears turned away a shot from Amaris Taylor. Taylor got her own rebound and fired opposite post, but Brooke Haskell (Winslow, Maine) was there for the defensive save to preserve the one goal advantage.
The Penmen finally broke through in the 62nd minute as Erin Frost took the ball along the end line and fired a shot at Sears, which ricocheted off the left pad of the keeper and into the back of the net.
Saint Anselm wanted to avoid overtime, so the Hawks turned up the offense and eventually earned a penalty corner. After Rose Mooney (North Attleborough, Mass.) played the ball into the circle, Collins missed with the first shot, while Allia Connolly (Westford, Mass.) and Hannah Friend (North Easton, Mass.) were both denied on their scoring attempts off rebounds.
Friend took one more shot in the scrum that connected with the stick of Collins and into the goal to put the Hawks in front, 2-1.
Sears was tested once more in the closing seconds of the game as the Penmen came down the left side. Maddie Holt was able to get a shot off before time expired, but Sears was there for the kick stop as the clock ran out and the Hawks held on for the 2-1 win.
Saint Anselm held a 15-9 edge in shots in the game and attempted 10 penalty corners to just three for the visitors. Katherine Sears made six saves in her sixth victory of the season, while SNHU's Melanie Rennie dropped to 1-2 on the year while making two saves.
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