MANCHESTER, N.H. – The Saint Anselm College men's soccer team was able to fend off Saint Michael's in a 2-1 win from the Back River Sports Complex in nearby Bedford, N.H. on Monday.
 
The Hawks, who improve to 2-0-0 on the young season, will be back in action on Wednesday, Sept. 7 against Roberts Wesleyan. That will be the final non-conference tune up for the Hawks before opening Northeast-10 Conference play on Saturday, Sept. 10 against New Haven with both matches coming from Melucci Field. With the loss, the Purple Knights will drop to 0-4-0 on their 2022 campaign.

Each season, both Saint Anselm and Saint Michael's come together to support a common cause, with each team raising money and awareness on a yearly basis. Prior to the start of the match, captains from both programs came together on the field for a ceremonial check donation to the Cutaneous Squamous Cell Research department at Massachusetts General Hospital.
 
Saint Anselm jumped on the board early as they were able to put home the first goal of the match, coming from senior Jackson Bukunt (Upton, MA.) in the ninth minute. Classmate Michael Fortin (Goffstown, N.H.) sent a left-footed corner kick into the box for Bukunt, who headed home his second goal of the season.
 
The Hawks doubled their lead in the 42nd minute as junior Josue Assantha (Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo) and sophomore Caden Leader (Durham, N.H.) combined on a give-and-go play through the midfield which sprung Assantha through the Purple Knights backline. His right-footed shot managed to sneak its way by Aidan McHugh, the Saint Michael's goalkeeper, and into the lower-left corner of the goal.

Jack Andrews got the Purple Knights on the board in the 70th minute as he found himself in a one-on-one with senior goalkeeper Brian Underhill (Westford, Mass.). Andrews collected a long pass that deflected off a Hawks defender and he fired a shot from just inside the 18-yard box that beat Underhill.

Following the Saint Michael's goal, the Purple Knights upped the pace looking for the equalizer but strong defense by the Hawks limited the visitors to just two shot attempts. Both of which were saved by Underhill including one on a free-kick in the final minute of the match.
 
Underhill stopped six of seven shots on goal for the Hawks and grabbed his 10th collegiate win in the match. McHugh and Liam Barrett combined for eight saves as both saw 45 minutes worth of action in the goal for the Purple Knights.