MANCHESTER, N.H. – The Saint Anselm College field hockey team scored three times in the first quarter and never looked back, picking up a 4-2 victory over visiting Saint Michael's College on Wednesday in Northeast-10 Conference play.
Saint Anselm snaps a brief two-game losing skid, improving to 4-2 on the year and to 2-1 against NE10 foes. The Purple Knights drop to 2-5 and to 1-3 against the league.
Junior Maeve Murphy (Scituate, Mass.) picked up two goals in the game's first 9:07, elevating the Hawks to a 2-0 lead. The team never looked back, opening up a 4-1 lead in the fourth quarter and only conceding a late marker to the Purple Knights prior to the end of regulation.
Murphy's first goal of the contest came just 2:31 into play. Senior Carly LaCasse (Sagamore Beach, Mass.) tipped a ball on net that was turned aside briefly by Purple Knights goalkeeper Riley O'Connor. The rebound spilled to the near-side post where Murphy was able to push the ball home.
The second goal was scored in a very similar fashion, but this time, LaCasse redirected the shot right to Murphy on the near post for the goal. LaCasse picked up the helper on the second goal as her first assist was negated by O'Connor's initial save.
Senior Emilie Martin (Yarmouth, Maine) created a 3-0 lead for the Hawks with just under three minutes to go in the first quarter. Challenging for a loose ball in front of O'Connor, Martin won the battle and flicked the ball in between the goalkeeper and a Purple Knights defender for her second goal of the season.
Saint Michael's broke through with Bridgie Loughlin's fourth goal of the season in the game's 44th minute. The reigning NE10 Rookie of the Week finished off a two-on-one with Jenna Puleo, her team's leader in assists, to cut into the Hawks lead.
Junior Maggie Malloy (Canton, Mass.) scored near the left post off a hard right-to-left pass from classmate Shelby Dunn (Yarmouthport, Mass.) to recreate the three-goal lead for Saint Anselm at 49:28. Puleo scored a goal of her own in the game's final two minutes, creating the final 4-2 score.
Hawks netminder Sidney Falterer (Fairfield, Conn.) made two saves on four shots, picking up the win in goal. Senior Maddison LeBeau (Westbrook, Maine) earned her first career defensive save as well in her team's victory.
O'Connor made four saves on eight shots, drawing the loss. Saint Michael's was outshot by a 14-to-10 margin, but the Purple Knights were awarded nine of the game's 15 penalty corners.
Saint Anselm heads to Southern Connecticut State University on Saturday, Sept. 25 for a 1 p.m. showdown with the Owls.
