MANCHESTER, N.H. – The No. 6 nationally-ranked Saint Anselm College field hockey team defeated No. 8 Assumption University during their last regular season contest on Saturday in penalty strokes. With the win, the Hawks secure the No. 2 seed in the Northeast-10 Conference standings and finish the regular season 11-2 in league play.

UP NEXT:

• The Hawks will host Mercy University on Tuesday, Oct. 31st for the First Round of NE10 Playoffs. The game is set for a 4:00 p.m. start time from Grappone Stadium. 

Score: Saint Anselm 2, Assumption 1
Records: Saint Anselm (15-3, 11-2 NE10); Assumption (13-5, 12-1 NE10)
Location: Worcester, Mass. (Brian Kelly '83 Stadium) 
Date: Saturday, October 28, 2023
Attendance: 307 

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Hawks fired off the first shot on target by senior Maddie Davis (Exeter, N.H.) forcing a save from Assumption goalie Paige Gillette. Junior Chloe Kapsambelis (Merrimack, N.H.) and sophomore Marissa Politano (Acton, Maine) registered back-to-back shots on goal in the 11th minute of play that Gillette was also able to save. Junior Ava Rayfield (Dover-Foxcroft, Maine) and sophomore Millie Forster (Cholmondeley, Cheshire, England) also ripped a shot apiece, but the game would remain scoreless heading into the second period. 
• In the opening minute of the second period, the Hawks earned a penalty stroke that Forster stepped up to take. The midfielder fired the ball into the back of the cage to give Saint Anselm the 1-0 lead. The Hawks would take the one-goal advantage into halftime, as neither team posted any shots for the remainder of the period.  
• Assumption responded quickly in the third period by tying the game at 1-1 after May Van Woudenberg found the back of the goal at the 32:45 mark. The Greyhounds continued to push their attack, but Saint Anselm senior goalie Mackenzie McConnell (Concord Township, Maine) posted two saves to keep the score even.
• Both teams demonstrated their defensive strength in the fourth period with no shots recorded in the entire quarter, forcing the game into overtime. 
• In the first overtime period, the Greyhounds fired a shot that McConnell cleared out of danger. Kapsambelis would answer a minute later, firing two shots on target of her own. However, Gillette denied both attempts to continue play into double overtime. Davis and junior Abby Breznyak (Oakland, Maine) each tallied shots in the opening four minutes of double overtime, but Gillette would stand her ground, making two more saves. At the 75:10 mark, junior Stephanie Sutton-Brown (Ashby, Mass.) came up big for the Hawks, posting a defensive save to deny the Greyhounds the game-winner. 
• Not long after, Assumption earned their first penalty stroke in the game and had a chance to seal the victory. Junior Sidney Falterer (Fairfield, Conn.) checked into the cage for the Hawks and denied Lily Daly's shot to keep the Greyhounds off the score sheet.
• The game would be decided in penalty strokes with the Hawks making 4-of-5 shots while the Greyhounds only converted 2-of-4 shots. Saint Anselm secured the 2-1 win over Assumption and locked up the No. 2 seed for the NE10 postseason. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Saint Anselm posted all 10 shots in the game on target to hold a 10-7 advantage in shots on goal. 
• Forster tallied her seventh goal of the season after converting the penalty stroke attempt for Saint Anselm. She also scored one of the game-deciding penalty strokes along with Davis, junior Grace Michael (Hampton Falls, N.H.), and sophomore Maggie Burchill (Braintree, Mass.). 
• McConnell registered four saves in net for the Hawks and allowed just one goal, while Falterer posted one save from the penalty stroke in double overtime. 
• This marked the 35th meeting between these two programs with Saint Anselm now holding an 18-17 lead in the all-time series. 

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