MANCHESTER, N.H. – The Queen City Cup, a coveted trophy representing the rivalry between crosstown foes Southern New Hampshire (SNHU) and Saint Anselm College, is returning to the Hilltop after the Hawks beat out the Penmen by a 20-17 margin in the 2022-23 competition.

Aided by 2023 spring sports victories in softball, men's lacrosse, and women's lacrosse, the Hawks pulled away for the three-point victory. Additionally, the wins in field hockey, men's and women's soccer, men's ice hockey and men's basketball during their season series also helped the Hawks secure the cup.

After winning its first Queen City Cup in 2017-18, the trophy returned to the North side of Manchester in 2019. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, neither school competed for the prize in 2020 and 2021. The Queen City Cup resumed in 2022, with SNHU retaining the cup thanks to a 20-14 edge in the scoring.

The longtime intra-city rivals began competing for the Queen City Cup during the 2014-15 academic year. The two institutions share a 40-year tradition of competition against one another, separated by less than seven miles in Manchester, New Hampshire, the state's largest city. 

The Hawks face off against the Penmen in 15 different sports annually. For team sports, points get awarded based on head-to-head meetings, both during the regular season and postseason contests. For individual sports, such as golf and cross country, points get utilized from the Northeast-10 Championship. 

During the inaugural Queen City Cup in 2014-15, Southern New Hampshire prevailed 22-12 and won the following year by a 26-10 decision. In 2016-17, SNHU's 20-14 victory was the closest the cup had come to switching hands before Saint Anselm claimed its first victory in 2017-18 by a 21-15 win differential. The two schools tied, 19-19, in 2018-19, before the COVID-19 pandemic shortened the 2019-20 battle. The Penmen returned to the win column with a 20-14 victory in 2021-22.