RINDGE, N.H. – The Saint Anselm College field hockey team came away with a 3-1 victory over Franklin Pierce University on Monday.

Saint Anselm moves to 1-0 on the season while Franklin Pierce drops to 3-1 on the year. Monday's contest is the only countable fixture of the season for the Hawks; Saint Anselm will conclude the spring semester with a scrimmage later this month.

The Hawks played their first game since the wildly-successful 2019 campaign that saw Saint Anselm post a 20-3 overall record, setting the NCAA Division II record with 20 shutouts on the season and finishing as the runner-up at the National Championship. Saint Anselm was ranked as high as third by the NFHCA in 2019, matching an all-time record.

With the score tied at one through the first 30 minutes of play, the Hawks fired all seven of the third quarter's shot attempts but were unable to break the deadlock heading into the fourth quarter. Sophomore Maggie Malloy (Canton, Mass.) had the game-winning goal at 49:44, putting home a touch from sophomore Shelby Dunn (Yarmouthport, Mass.).

Dunn put the Hawks ahead, 1-0, just minutes into the first quarter. The Franklin Pierce netminder covered up a loose ball near the left post, sending Dunn to the line for a penalty shot that was converted for her second career goal.

In the game's 14th minute, Franklin Pierce tied the game on a redirected shot by Anna Beck, who scored her fourth goal of the season in the process. She had two of her team's nine shots on the day as the Ravens were led offensively by four shots from Christine Jarowicz.

In her first collegiate game, freshman Shannon Walsh (Chelmsford, Mass.) scored the first goal of her career to add insurance for Saint Anselm down the stretch. She was set up on the play by junior Sarah Bagley (North Andover, Mass.), upping her team's lead to 3-1 with 4:58 to go in regulation time.

The Hawks tested the Franklin Pierce backstop, Olivia Barnes, with 15 shots on net. In total, Barnes made 12 saves across 60 minutes. Freshman Mackenzie McConnell (Concord Township, Maine) made her collegiate debut in the Hawks net, turning aside three out of the four shots on goal that she faced.

Saint Anselm finished the game with the decisive 23-to-9 shots advantage. The Hawks were awarded nine of the contest's 14 penalty corners.