FAIRFIELD, Conn. - In their season opener on Saturday afternoon at NCAA Division I opponent Sacred Heart, the Saint Anselm College football team fell in a defensive battle by a final score of 10-3. Despite the loss, the Hawks defense looked promising by allowing just 3.6 yards per play.
UP NEXT:
- Saint Anselm hosts Bentley in its home opener next weekend on Saturday, September 14th from Grappone Stadium at 1:00 p.m.
Score: Saint Anselm 3, Sacred Heart 10
Records: Saint Anselm (0-1); Sacred Heart (1-1)
Location: Fairfield, Conn. (Campus Field)
Date: Saturday, September 7th, 2024
Attendance: 2,934
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Saint Anselm received the opening kickoff and started the game with a bang, as senior Najei Snyder (Deltona, Fla.) sprinted out a 50-yard return to midfield. However, the Hawks went three-and-out and punted to the Pioneers.
- Sacred Heart also went three-and-out on their opening drive, which allowed the Hawks to obtain field possession at the Pioneers 39-yard line.
- After a couple of nine-yard rushes by junior Jaidin Haynes (Sayreville, N.J.), Saint Anselm got into field goal range, where senior Patrick Carroll set up from 34 yards out, but missed and the game remained scoreless.
- With 5:48 remaining in the first quarter, the Hawks defense got another stop and gave the offense the ball back at their own 40-yard line.
- Senior quarterback Anthony Santino (Woodbridge, N.J.) linked up with junior wideout Patrick Yesinko (Marshfield, Mass.) for a 15-yard completion across midfield. Haynes then rushed for another nine-yard gain, but after two holding penalties, Saint Anselm turned the ball over on a fourth down fumble at the end of the first quarter.
- Saint Anselm forced another Sacred Heart three-and-out to start the second period and once again got the ball back in good field position, this time just shy of the midfield stripe.
- The Hawks struggled to muster anything up offensively and failed to get a first down on their next couple of possessions.
- The Pioneers got the ball back with 8:15 left in the first half and strung together a seven-minute, 16-play drive that resulted in a 29-yard field goal by Matt Kling to make it 3-0. Sacred Heart quarterback John Michalski linked up with Mason Stahl for a 27-yard completion on that drive.
- Saint Anselm attempted to run down the remaining minute of the first half after receiving the ensuing kickoff, but on 4th-and-16 with eight seconds left, Sacred Heart called a timeout to force a punt. The Hawks botched the snap and recovered the ball at their own three-yard line, which gave the Pioneers a chance to score with four seconds left.
- Rather than kicking the field goal, Sacred Heart decided to run a play, resulting in a three-yard touchdown run by Xavier Leigh that put the Pioneers ahead, 10-0, at halftime.
- The home team also received the second half kickoff and made their way into opposing territory, but the lengthy 11-play drive ended without points as Kling missed a field goal attempt from 44 yards away.
- With 5:05 remaining in the third, the Hawks obtained possession at their own 12-yard line. Santino was able to lead Saint Anselm across midfield and into Sacred Heart territory just outside the redzone.
- At the start of the fourth quarter, Carroll connected on a 42-yard field goal attempt to make it a 10-3 game. Santino had four completions to four different receivers along with 28 passing yards during the drive, while sophomore Anthony Almeida (North Arlington, N.J.) totaled 21 yards on four touches.
- On the ensuing kickoff, the Hawks attempted an onside kick, but the Pioneers recovered it at their own 49-yard line. Despite the good field position, Sacred Heart immediately punted the ball back to Saint Anselm after going three-and-out.
- With 7:02 left in the game, Sacred Heart began a new drive at their own 20-yard line. Two long rushes including an 18-yard scamper by Michalski put the Pioneers into opposing territory. They were then able to make their way into the redzone and eventually had first-and-goal at the Hawks' three-yard line with under two minutes remaining.
- With their backs against the wall, the Saint Anselm defense came up with a huge stop, turning away four straight Sacred Heart rushes to force a turnover on downs.
- The Hawks got the football back, but with just 13 seconds remaining and down a touchdown at their own two-yard line, they were not able to make anything happen and the game ended by a final score of 10-3.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Sacred Heart held a 232-87 advantage in total yards of offense.
- The Pioneers also led with 146 rushing yards on 49 carries compared to just 18 rushing yards on 31 attempts for the Hawks.
- Neither team cracked 100 yards through the air with Sacred Heart accumulating 86 passing yards on 10 completions, while Saint Anselm had 69 passing yards on 12 completions.
- Both teams committed seven penalties and lost over 50 yards in the contest. Each team also booted away six punts as well.
- It was a struggle on third down as the Pioneers converted just three times out of 14 chances compared to the Hawks who went two-for-12.
- Almeida led the way for Saint Anselm on the ground with seven carries for 36 yards. Yesinko was the leading receiver for the Hawks with two catches for 20 yards.
- Sacred Heart's Michalski was the game's leading rusher with 71 yards on the ground on 17 attempts. Jalen Madison had 19 carries for 60 yards for the Pioneers, while Leigh scored the game's lone touchdown.
- Fifth-year senior Alejandro Santiago (Woodbridge, N.J.), senior Matt Smith (Ayer, Mass.), and sophomore Stephen Laguerre (Spring Valley, N.Y.) recorded 10 total tackles apiece to lead the team, with Smith making a team-high three tackles-for-loss.
- Fifth-year senior Devin Wood (Merrimack, N.H.) and senior Austin Spille (Austin, Texas) recorded eight total tackles each. Spille also registered one sack and had two tackles-for-loss for the Hawks.
- Carroll put the only three points on the board for Saint Anselm and made one of his two field goal attempts. He is now tied for the program's all-time career field goals made record with 24 converted field goals.
- This game marked the second all-time meeting between Saint Anselm and Sacred Heart. The Hawks also lost to the Pioneers back in 2015.
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