ALBANY, N.Y. - For the first time in 14 years, the Saint Anselm College men's soccer team has won a postseason game, defeating the College of Saint Rose in double overtime, 1-0. Senior
Zach Verow (Bedford, N.H.) scored the game-winning goal less than a minute into the first overtime period, finishing off a beautiful cross sent to the back post by junior
Samuel Assantha (Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo).
UP NEXT:
- Saint Anselm advances to the Northeast-10 Conference Semifinal round. The Hawks will travel to Rindge, N.H. to take on undefeated and nationally-ranked No. 1 Franklin Pierce University on Thursday, November 9th.
Score: Saint Anselm 1, Saint Rose 0
Records: Saint Anselm (6-8-3, 1-0 Northeast-10 postseason); Saint Rose (6-7-4, 0-1 Northeast-10 postseason)
Location: Albany, N.Y. (Plumeri Sports Complex)
Date: Saturday, November 4, 2023
Attendance: 153
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Both sides registered one shot on goal apiece in a scoreless first half. Saint Anselm sophomore goalkeeper David Hood (Manchester, N.H.) made his first save of the day in the 31st minute on a shot by Joao Amaral, while Saint Rose goalkeeper Leopold Dufaut denied an attempt from Jackson Dresens (Wayland, Mass.) 10 minutes before the halftime break.
- The intensity picked up in the second half, with the teams trading opportunities in the opening 15 minutes. The Hawks earned their best look of the game in the 72nd minute of the match when Verow stole the ball from a Golden Knight defender and had a clear path to goal. However, the senior's shot missed just over the bar as the game remained level.
- With 12 minutesd to play in regulation, Alejandro Aleo had shooting space at the stop of the Saint Anselm 18-yard box, but his shot was blocked by senior Ethan Northcott (Hollis, N.H.) who charged out to cut the angle.
- Saint Rose earned several corner kicks in the closing minutes, but could not find a goal as the game would head to overtime.
- 38 seconds into the first extra period, Samuel Assantha worked his way down the left wing, cut back on his right foot, and curled in a cross to the back post. Verow ran on to it and was able to one-time it into the back of the net for the first goal of the game.
- Saint Rose committed to an all-out attack in the second overtime and created multiple scoring opportunities. The Golden Knights looked to have found the equalizer with five minutes left, but the goal was called back due to the play being whistled dead for the ball going out of bounds.
- The Golden Knights forced Hood to make three more difficult saves, but he and the Hawks defense did not concede the equalizer and held on for their first playoff win in 14 years.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Saint Rose held a slight margin in total shots with a 16-15 edge over Saint Anselm. The Golden Knights also held a six to four advantage in shots on goal.
- The Golden Knights attempted six corner kicks in the match, while the Hawks attempted just one.
- Verow scored his second goal of the season for the Hawks, while Samuel Assantha recorded his fourth assist and is now tied for the team lead.
- Hood recorded six saves in goal for Saint Anselm, while Dufaut made three saves for Saint Rose.
- This marked the 26th all-time meeting between Saint Anselm and Saint Rose, with the Hawks improving to a 18-8 record overall against the Golden Knights.
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