SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Saint Anselm College men's lacrosse team, ranked No. 11 in NCAA Division II, travel to American International College on Wednesday, Apr. 21 for a 7 p.m. contest.
The Hawks are riding a program-record 11 game winning streak that dates back to the start of the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. The Yellow Jackets enter play with an 0-7 record and have lost 10 consecutive games dating back to the 2020 campaign.
Saint Anselm is the No. 11-ranked team in NCAA Division II, according to the USILA / Dynamic 2021 Men's Coaches Division II Poll. The ranking is thought to be the highest for the program in recent memory.
Live Video and Live Statistics will be provided, courtesy of American International College. Spectators of any kind are not allowed to attend games at Ronald J. Abdow Field.
SCOUTING SAINT ANSELM
Against Assumption on Saturday, Apr. 10, the Hawks set a program record with their ninth consecutive win. The previous record for consecutive victories, eight, was set from Feb. 27, 2012 to Apr. 10, 2012. Assumption was receiving votes in the national coaches' poll. The winning streak currently stands at 11 games.
The Hawks remain one of just four NCAA Division II programs without a loss. Le Moyne (8-0) is the lone team in NE10 play to compete without a loss to date. Tampa (6-0) and Mercy (N.Y.) (7-0) round out the ranks of the undefeated.
Saint Anselm ranks first in NCAA Division II in scoring defense (5.88) and ranks second in ground balls per game (45) and scoring margin (12.75). The Hawks rank fifth nationally in scoring offense (18.62) and points per game (29.25).
Senior backstop CJ Hart (Reading, Mass.), recently named NE10 Goaltender of the Week and to the USILA Division II Team of the Week, leads the nation in goals-against average (5.34). His save percentage (0.645) ranks third).
Sophomore Jack Andrews (Cumberland, R.I.) has eight man-up goals, ranking third in NCAA Division II. He has matched the Saint Anselm single-season record of eight, first achieved by Ryan Mee '14 as a junior in 2013. He is also the only student-athlete at Saint Anselm to have 30 or more points in 2021.
Sophomore Jack Robinson (Wilbraham, Mass.) joined Hart on the USILA Division II Team of the Week on Tuesday. Robinson scored six goals with four assists for 10 points (6-4=10), reeling in 10 ground balls on the week. He posted exactly three goals and two assists in each game, but picked up a career-high nine ground balls against the Purple Knights on the road.
In just 11 games on the Hilltop, Robinson has scored 15 goals with 16 assists for 31 points (15-16=31) and has collected 35 ground balls in that limited time. This season, he ranks 10th in the NE10 in assists per game (1.25).
Senior Matt Ward (Shrewsbury, Mass.) owns a 13-game goal scoring streak, logging 36 in that span, and his point-scoring streak is at 19 games. He has scored 52 goals with nine assists for 61 points (52-9=61) since taking the field against Merrimack on Apr. 2, 2019.
Leading Assumption by a 13-0 margin at halftime in its game on Apr. 10, Saint Anselm has shutout an opponent in the first half twice in 2021. The Hawks had previously led Saint Michael's by a 15-0 margin at the break on Apr. 3.
Saint Anselm has posted a 29-12 record since the start of the 2018 season and has made the last four NE10 postseason tournaments. Among active NCAA Division II head coaches, Michael Sciamanna is 15th with a winning percentage of .652 and has won 45 of his 69 career games.
PREVIEWING AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL
Last time out, the Yellow Jackets posted a 15-5 loss to Southern New Hampshire in Hooksett, N.H. on Saturday. Avery Foye led AIC with two goals and Clark Marchand had a team-best seven ground balls.
Eddie Beattie is fourth in NCAA Division II with 2.86 caused turnovers per game. Netminder Ryan Day also ranks ninth in the NE10 with 7.43 saves per game.
The Yellow Jackets scored a season-high nine goals in its loss to Saint Rose on Mar. 31, tallying 14 points of offense in the defeat. The squad also picked up a season-high 47 ground balls against the Golden Knights.
Jason Vickery leads the offense with eight goals and four assists for 12 points (8-4=12). Rusty Stone has 11 points of offense via nine goals and two assists (9-2=11).
ALL-TIME vs. AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL
Saint Anselm is 22-3 in the all-time series against American International. The very first victory in team history came against AIC in just Saint Anselm's second-ever game on Apr. 9, 1994. The Hawks have won each of the last 21 games played against American International.
Saint Anselm has averaged 17.48 goals per game against AIC in its 21-game winning streak, allowing an average of just 5.90 goals against in that span.
