MANCHESTER, N.H. – The Saint Anselm College men's ice hockey squad scored two goals in the opening period and held onto the advantage, downing the Eagles of Post University, 2-1, on Friday night at Sullivan Arena.

Box Score | Video Highlights

The Hawks picked up their 10th win of the season to open Pink in the Rink weekend, improving to 10-7-1 on the year. Against Northeast-10 Conference opponents, the Hawks are now 5-2-1. Post falls to 2-11-1 overall and 0-8-0 in NE10 play.

Sophomore Kilian Hammersmith (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) broke the scoreless game with less than three minutes to go, gathering the puck off the wall behind the goal and beating the goalie five-hole. Hammersmith buried his fifth goal of the season and ninth of his career. Hammersmith has now scored in the past two games.

A minute later, junior Shawn Moors (Pointe Claire, Quebec) passed cross-ice to senior Ryan Spillane (Franklin, Mass.) along the right wing, who passed the puck to senior Mike Ferraro (Northbridge, Mass.). Ferraro's initial shot was stopped but the puck bounced to the skate of Spillane, who was able to bury the puck into the net.

Lucas Smith skated down the left wing along the boards and wristed a shot over the goalie's glove side to cut the Hawks advantage at 12:36 of the second period.

Both teams played to a scoreless third period.

First-year Nick Howard (Burlington, Mass.) came up big in the final seven minutes of action as Justin Brown fired a shot towards the open net after receiving a pass through the slot. Howard sprawled out and made a diving save.

With play being back and forth in the final period, Post finished with a 11-9 shots advantage in the last 20 minutes but both teams concluded the day deadlocked with 28 shots each.

Howard improved to 6-4-1 on the year, recording 27 saves. Brandon Brown of Post recorded 26 stops in his 11th appearance of the season.

Saint Anselm finishes Pink in the Rink weekend with another NE10 matchup against Post on Saturday, Jan. 18 at 4 p.m.