MANCHESTER, N.H. – The nationally-ranked Saint Anselm College women's lacrosse team got a late free position goal from senior Jenna Balboni (Billerica, Mass.) which proved to be the game-winning tally in the team's 15-14 win over Southern New Hampshire University on Wednesday.

With the win, the Hawks improve to 6-1 on the season and 4-0 in Northeast-10 Conference play while the Penmen fall to 4-2 overall and 2-2 in NE10 play. The Hawks, who are winners of three games in a row, host No. 3 Adelphi University in conference play on Saturday, Apr. 2.

Junior Lexi Palmisano (Woburn, Mass.) and sophomore Alison Ferullo (North Andover, Mass.) led the Saint Anselm offense with four goals each. Balboni added two goals to the game-winner for three in the contest. The program's record holder for career assists, senior Annie Richards (Reading, Mass.), tied a game-high five points all coming on assists.

Senior Grace Young (Merrimack, N.H.) stopped nine shots on goal in the contest as she improves to 6-1 in the cage this season.

After the Hawks scored three consecutive fourth quarter goals to take a 14-12 lead, Courtney Cronin and Erin Gorton netted back-to-back tallies for the Penmen which tied the score at 14 with 2:13 remaining.

Senior McKenzie Robinson (Mont Vernon, N.H.) won the ensuing draw control before Balboni drew a foul, giving her the free position attempt with 1:28 left in regulation. Balboni fired a shot by Penmen goalkeeper Hayle Ashford, giving the Hawks a 15-14 lead which they would hold on to, to close out the Queen City Cup battle.

Earlier in the contest, Southern New Hampshire tallied a pair of goals in the opening 3:13 but a pair of unassisted goals by senior Taylor Cobain (Smithfield, R.I.) and Palmisano brought the score to 2-2. The Hawks tallies came just 41 seconds apart.

Madison Keating registered two goals for the Penmen before Ferullo responded with two of her own, pushing the score to 4-4 with just under one minute left in the first quarter. However, Cronin found the back of the cage with 18 seconds left in the opening frame which gave the hosts a 5-4 lead through 15 minutes of play.

Skylar Renaud would score the next three goals, pushing a Southern New Hampshire scoring streak to four which made the score 8-4. Saint Anselm responded with a four-goal run of its own to draw even headed to the halftime intermission at eight aside.

The Hawks netted the first two goals of the third quarter as Palmisano and sophomore Jess Sullivan (Wrentham, Mass.) scored goals to give Saint Anselm a 10-8 lead. Southern New Hampshire responded with three goals of their own which flipped the lead again, this time in favor of the Penmen at 11-10. Ferullo and Shelby Cole traded markers to close the third quarter with the score 12-11 through 45 minutes of play.

Saint Anselm was 17-of-19 in clears compared to 16-of-19 for Southern New Hampshire. The Penmen held a slight edge in draw controls, 17-16, but the Hawks scooped 17 ground balls compared to 16 for the
hosts. Southern New Hampshire put 23 shots on goal in the contest while Saint Anselm fired 20 on target.