MANCHESTER, N.H. – The Saint Anselm College football team recorded a 21-12 loss to visiting Assumption University on Saturday in Northeast-10 Conference play.
Saint Anselm (5-4, 2-4 NE10) posted a defeat at home for just the third time in its last 12 games – all of the losses have come to teams listed in the American Football Coaches' Association National Poll as the Greyhounds (7-2, 6-1 NE10) were receiving votes this week.
With the victory, paired with a Bentley defeat at previously-winless American International, Assumption won the NE10 Championship outright. Even with a New Haven victory at Southern Connecticut State next Saturday, the Hounds own the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Sophomore Patrick Carroll (Stafford, Va.) racked up all 12 of his team's points on Senior Day, making four field goals and matching the program record for longest field goal made with a 49-yard boot heading into halftime (Erol Senel '03 at Bryant, Oct. 19, 2002). He also matched the single-season record with 10 field goals, equaling the record held by Shane Grayson '16 (10-for-13, 2014) and Michael Garcarz '07 (10-for-16, 2003).
Carroll also converted attempts from 31, 33 and 28 yards, setting a team record for field goals made in regulation time – Daniel Parisi '19 made four field goals in a triple-overtime thriller against Stonehill on Sept. 8, 2018. He now has 15 field goals made, taking outright possession of fourth place on the career leaderboard for Saint Anselm.
Saint Anselm controlled the time of possession, holding a nearly 10-minute edge over the Greyhounds, but could not cash in outside of the four field goals. The Hawks also ran nearly 30 more plays than Assumption in defeat, compiling 280 aerial yards but posting minus-20 rushing yards on the day.
The Hawks found themselves in the red zone on four occasions, but settled for field goals in three of those attempts.
Saint Anselm opened the game with a punt and Assumption followed with a missed 50-yard field goal attempt, setting the tone for what would be a scoreless first quarter. Neither team could get in a solid offensive rhythm as a turnover-on-downs by Saint Anselm preceded each team trading punt attempts down the stretch.
Shortly into the second quarter, Assumption took advantage of a Hawks interception and marched down the field, taking a 7-0 lead via a 26-yard touchdown pass by quarterback Jake Cady with 11:14 to go in the first half.
The Hawks were poised to score a touchdown of their own on the next play as a muffed punt by Assumption was recovered by sophomore Rio Ferguson (Northborough, Mass.) at the Greyhounds' 14-yard line. The Hawks settled for a 31-yard field goal after failing to gain any yardage on four consecutive attempts.
Another Greyhounds turnover to end the first half led to another golden chance for the Saint Anselm offense, but the Hawks ended up kicking the record-tying field goal from 49 yards out heading into the break. Saint Anselm found itself down by just one point at the break, 7-6.
After a huge stop by the Saint Anselm defense coming out of the locker room, the Hawks ran 12 plays for 40 yards and fired home a go-ahead field goal with 5:29 to go in the third quarter, pushing the hosts ahead by a 9-7 margin. Assumption simply did not give Saint Anselm much outside of three big pick-ups by senior Anthony Brown (Belton, Texas) totaling 35 yards on the drive by himself.
Assumption immediately responded with a three-play drive that allowed them to regain the lead with 4:28 left in the third quarter After Cady sprinted for a seven-yard on his own end of the field, he found the hands of Baley Collier for a 59-yard touchdown reception despite a roughing the passer call against Saint Anselm on the play.
Another lengthy Saint Anselm offensive drive followed, but once again, the Hawks were stalled out in the red zone. Sophomore Carson Goda (Bradenton, Fla.) reeled in a 32-yard reception on the play, picking up half of the team's 64 yards of offense on the drive in one play. Carroll's 28-yard field goal trimmed the Greyhounds lead to 14-12 with 55 seconds left in the third.
A fumble by the Hawks in the fourth quarter set up the next Assumption touchdown as Cady sprinted home with the 21-yard score, creating the final score of 21-12. After the Cady touchdown, the final two offensive drives for the Hawks were a punt and a desperation pass into the end zone in the final 49 seconds that was picked off.
Hawks quarterback Anthony Santino (Woodbridge, N.J.) was 26-for-51 through the air, throwing for 256 yards with two interceptions – he was also sacked five times. Brown was his team's leading receiver, making eight catches for 128 yards while Goda matched him with eight receptions totaling 81 yards. Brown exited the game with 2,097 career rushing yards, becoming the fifth in team history to pass 2,000.
Senior Taylor Pawelkoski (Bradenton, Fla.) made six tackles while junior Ahmad Brown (Egg Harbor Township, N.J.) had five solo tackles and a pass breakup. Senior Liam Flynn (Hanover, Mass.) had five tackles as well, compiling a forced fumble and a recovery in the fourth quarter.
Senior Ryan Raybuck (Flower Mound, Texas) added an interception as well for Saint Anselm, his second of the season. The Hawks are in a four-way tie for first place in the NE10 with 13 interceptions on the season.
Saint Anselm wraps up the season next week, taking on American International on Saturday, Nov. 12 at 12 p.m. The Hawks posted an earlier 56-7 victory over the Yellow Jackets in non-conference play on Saturday, Sept. 10.
