MANCHESTER, N.H. – The Saint Anselm College football team revealed its 2021 schedule on Thursday.

The Hawks are currently slated to play 10 opponents in 2021. Earlier this year, Saint Anselm introduced the 41 members of its incoming recruiting class and Head Coach Joe Adam, entering his sixth year with the program, is excited to work with the newcomers as well as his returning student-athletes.

"We are thrilled to bring football back to the Hilltop this fall," said Adam. "As a program, we will continue to search for opponents in hopes of presenting a full 11-game schedule. We are motivated to play as much football as possible in light of the events surrounding our sport this past year."

In 2019, the Hawks recorded their first three-game winning streak in five seasons and had a single-season record 12 student-athletes earn Northeast-10 All-Conference honors. Cumulatively, Saint Anselm defeated three of the league's top five programs in 2019, according to the league's annual Preseason Coaches' Poll.

The offense threw for over 3,200 yards in 2019, averaging just shy of 300 passing yards per game. Saint Anselm scored over 300 points for just the third time in team history. The Hawks did so against an ambitious 11-game schedule in 2019 that included three non-conference games - all Hawks opponents combined to win 52 games, the strongest win total of any NE10 program's opponents.

Saint Anselm opens its 2021 schedule on Sept. 4 against Merrimack, a former member of the Northeast-10 Conference who began the transition of its entire athletics department to NCAA Division I in 2019-20. The Warriors will host the Hawks under the lights at 6 p.m. in recently-constructed Warrior Stadium in North Andover, Mass.

The Hawks open NE10 play on Sept. 18 by traveling to Southern Connecticut State. The Hawks defeated the Owls by a 25-24 score on Oct. 26, 2019, running its then-winning streak to three games with the help of a game-clinching forced fumble by Sulton Woolbright, Jr. (Temple Hills, Md.).

Saint Anselm hosts Franklin Pierce on Sept. 25 and Bentley the very next Saturday on Oct. 2. The Ravens were downed by the Hawks in the first-ever meeting between both programs, 50-10, and Bentley eked out a narrow 41-35 victory in the most recent fixture in November 2019.

The Hawks head to New Haven on Oct. 9 and take on Stonehill at W.B. Mason Stadium on Oct. 16. The Chargers entered the 2019 matchup with Saint Anselm as the preseason favorites in the Northeast-10, but Saint Anselm rallied from a 31-22 deficit to stun New Haven with the help of 471 total yards of offense.

Next week, Stonehill and Saint Anselm will renew their annual Battle for the Ol' Bronze Hawk. The rivalry reached its peak with a thrilling triple overtime contest to open the 2018 season – the Hawks booted a record five field goals, including three in overtime to extend the game, and Saint Anselm's defense posted 128 total tackles, the far-and-away team record.

Pace comes to the Hilltop on Oct. 23 before the Hawks welcome American International to town the very next Saturday on Oct. 30. The Hawks round out their NE10 schedule on Saturday, Nov. 6, traveling to Assumption.

Against the Greyhounds to conclude the 2019 campaign, Saint Anselm racked up 61 points to knock off the team picked to finished second in the NE10 Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Hawks finished the season firing on all cylinders, racking up 721 yards of total offense, the second-most in any game in program history.

Saint Anselm will end its year with a non-league fixture against Bluefield State out of Bluefield, W.Va., a program that will make its debut in 2021. The College will become a residential campus for the first time in 52 years and has centered the dramatic transformation of its institution with the addition of 12 total sports, including football.

"The adversity of competing this academic year in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic has made our group stronger. In addition to our team and individual workouts and strength and conditioning program, I commend our student-athletes for their perseverance and hard work," said Adam. "Our group is eager to welcome back Hawks fans, family and alumni to the Hilltop in 2021."

The full schedule of Saturday games reads as follows.

Sept. 4 at Merrimack, 6 p.m.
Sept. 18 at Southern Conn. St., TBD
Sept. 25 vs. Franklin Pierce, 1 p.m. (Home Opener)
Oct. 2 vs. Bentley, 2 p.m.
Oct. 9 at New Haven, 1 p.m.
Oct. 16 at Stonehill, TBD
Oct. 23 vs. Pace, 1 p.m.
Oct. 30 vs. American Int'l, 1 p.m.
Nov. 6 at Assumption, TBD
Nov. 13 at Bluefield St., 12 p.m.