MANCHESTER, N.H. – The Saint Anselm College men's ice hockey team downed Franklin Pierce University in Northeast-10 Conference action on Saturday, 3-2.

The Hawks improve to 11-10-2 on the season with an 8-5-2 mark against the league. The Ravens fall to 6-15-1 overall and 3-9-1 in NE10 contests. Saint Anselm takes the regular season series, two games to one, against Franklin Pierce. The Hawks are back in action on Tuesday, Feb. 15 when Post University comes to the Hilltop for a 6 p.m. opening puck drop.

Junior Matt Hayes (Salem, N.H.) led the Hawks offense with two goals while sophomore Alec Grace (Laguna Hills, Calif.) is credited with the game-winning goal. Senior Kilian Hammersmith (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) and sophomore Jac Cordeiro (Barnstable, Mass.) registered two assists each while senior Anthony Iacullo (Barrington, Ill.) and freshman Max Burum (Marshfield, Mass.) recorded one helper each.

Hayes opened the scoring for the Hawks as he quickly fired a shot into the upper left corner of the goal with Cordeiro and Hammersmith collecting assists on the play at 4:20 of the opening period.

The Ravens found an equalizer at 6:09 of the period as Trevor Lawler fired a shot from the slot on junior goaltender Nick Howard (Burlington, Mass.). Howard turned aside the initial shot but Lawler crashed the net for his rebound, chipping the puck into the top of the goal.

Hayes and the Hawks wasted no time regaining the lead as he netted his second of the contest just 31 seconds later, giving Saint Anselm a 2-1 lead. Cordeiro and Hammersmith collected their second assists of the contest on the play.

Grace gave Saint Anselm some insurance headed to the second intermission. The sophomore received a pass from Iacullo in the slot and fired a shot on Ravens net minder Ian Wallace, which he turned aside but Grace managed to get the second chance shot to cross the goal line at 14:49 of the second stanza.

Franklin Pierce cut the Hawks lead to one on a five-on-three power play as Lawler netted his second of the game. Ryan Gorbett and Chris Stevenson put shots on goal that Howard stopped but Lawler managed to net the rebound at 4:04 of the third period.

Just after the eight-minute mark, the Ravens nearly found an equalizer but Stephen Jacobs' shot attempt rang off the right post.

Down the stretch, Franklin Pierce could not crack the Hawks defense who blocked four of six shots. Howard stopped the other two on frame attempts.

Both squads had three power play opportunities, Franklin Pierce netted one goal with the extra skater while Saint Anselm was scoreless in its opportunities.

Howard stopped 22 shots in the winning effort, grabbing his 11th victory of the season. Wallace faced 40 shots, making 37 saves for the Ravens.