HOOKSETT, N.H. – The Saint Anselm College men's ice hockey team netted five unanswered goals on its way to a 6-1 win over crosstown rival Southern New Hampshire University in Northeast-10 Conference action on Friday.

The Hawks improve to 10-5-1 on the season and 6-3-1 in NE10 contests while the Penmen fall to 5-9-0 overall and 4-6-0 in conference games. Saint Anselm will host Worcester State University in a non-league tilt on Saturday, Jan. 7 from Sullivan Arena.

With the win on Friday, the Hawks take the regular-season series against the Penmen, three games to one, and earn two points towards the Queen City Cup. Southern New Hampshire currently holds a 13-11 advantage for the Queen City Cup.

Six Saint Anselm student-athletes netted one goal each in the contest. Junior Luke Mix (Winchester, Mass.) and sophomore Chase Reynolds (Middletown, Conn.) went for one goal and one assist each in the contest to lead the Hawks offense. 

The Hawks found the back of the net while shorthanded twice on Friday evening. The last time the men's ice hockey program had two shorthanded goals in the same game was on Feb. 22, 2020 against Southern New Hampshire.

Sophomore Hunter Brackett (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) opened the scoring at 12:41 of the first period. Reynolds won an offensive zone faceoff to Brackett who was able to walk off the right wall and fire a snap shot into the upper right of the goal.

Matt Amante buried a loose puck in front of the Hawks net at 18:22 of the period to tie the score at one.

Reynolds regained the Hawks lead with a shorthanded goal, the first of the 2022-23 season for Saint Anselm at 5:22 of the second period. Reynolds applied pressure on the fore-check and forced a turnover in front of the Penmen net where he was able to bury the chance, giving the Hawks a 2-1 lead.

Junior Alec Grace (Laguna Hills, Calif.) gave Saint Anselm a 3-1 lead with a goal in the final minute of the second period. Grace grabbed a pass off the left wall and fired a shot through traffic that found the right side of the goal.

The Hawks would add another goal in the final minute of the second frame as junior co-alternate captain Tommy Schwartz (Ridgefield, Conn.) sent a backhand shot from the right faceoff dot into the twine to give the Hawks a 4-1 lead through 40 minutes of play.

Saint Anselm pushed its lead to 5-1 at 8:31 of the third period. Junior Leonard Brochu III (Concord, N.H.) blocked a shot from the point which allowed Mix to collect the loose puck and drive the length of the ice in a two-on-one with freshman Luke Linart (Holland, Mich.). Mix put a shot on goal that was saved but Linart was able to bury the rebound chance for the second shorthanded goal of the game for the Hawks.

Mix tacked on an empty-net goal as time was winding down in the third period, good for his first goal of the season.

The Hawks held a 29-22 edge in shots on goal in the contest. Neither side managed to convert on the power play as Saint Anselm was scoreless in its two chances while Southern New Hampshire had four.

Senior goaltender Nick Howard (Burlington, Mass.) posted 21 saves in the win. Adam Mercer and Cam Bernard combined for 23 saves in the Penmen goal.