MANCHESTER, N.H. – With a regular season record of 10-2-3, including a 7-0-2 record in Northeast 10 Conference play, the nationally ranked, No. 17 Saint Anselm College women's soccer team has clinched the number one seed in the NE10 Championship Tournament.
Saint Anselm is set to host No. 4 Adelphi University in a semifinal matchup on Thursday, Nov. 13 at Melucci Field with kickoff set for 1 p.m. after receiving a first round bye and home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
The Hawks defeated Adelphi earlier in the season, 2-1, at Motamed Field in Garden City, N.Y. The win on Sept. 27 over the Panthers, marked the Hawks' second win over Adelphi in the past 15 years and their first since 2021. In their lone NE10 postseason meeting, Saint Anselm fell on the road at Adelphi, 2-1, back in the quarterfinal round of the 2013 playoffs.
Admission to all rounds of NE10 fall championships is $10 for adults, $5 for seniors and children.
In his first season as head coach,
Lee Moyce led the Hawks to their fifth straight NE10 playoff berth and captured the NE10 regular-season title for the first time since 1994, making this the second regular-season title in program history. By clinching the No.1 seed in the NE10 tournament, the Hawks have secured a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Saint Anselm posted a 10-2-3 record overall and is currently riding an 8-game unbeaten streak (six wins and two ties) while going undefeated in conference play at 7-0-2. This is the second time this feat has been accomplished in program history (the first being in 1994).
Coming off an NE10 Semifinals loss in 2024, the Hawks were looking to once again secure a playoff spot and compete with the best in the conference. To open the season, the Hawks went 3-1-1 in their first five competitions, with the only loss coming to nationally ranked #11 Jefferson University.
The Hawks would then face a tough mid-season stretch, facing three more ranked opponents in their next five competitions. Saint Anselm picked up its first win against a ranked opponent, defeating No. 25 Adelphi, before dropping a close game to No. 20 Mercy and battling to a standstill in a 2-2 tie against No. 22 Franklin Pierce.
To close out the regular season, the Hawks would rattle off six straight victories before tying Southern New Hampshire in their regular-season finale. The Hawks also finished the season as the No. 17-ranked team in Division II by the United Soccer Coaches National Polls.
Entering postseason play, sophomore
Meghan Deneen leads the Hawks in scoring, notching 19 points on the season with seven goals and five assists. Her seven goals put her in the top 10 of goal-scorers in the NE10 Conference. Senior
Nina Muir and freshman
Addison Jerome followed close behind, tallying 13 and 10 points respectively.
In net, sophomore
Samantha Swidorski posted the third-lowest goals against average in the conference at .959. Swidorski also recorded three shutouts during the season and recorded 32 saves in 15 games played en route to a 10-1-3 record.
The Hawks have faced the least amount of shots on goal in the league, 49, as a back line fortified by seniors
Nina Cuccovia and
Gabrielle Chisholm, sophomores
Kaitlyn LeBrun and
Catherine McCarthy, and freshman
Nicole Schneider, has given opposing offenses fits all season.
As a team, Saint Anselm secured the NE10 regular season title while having the fourth-best average margin of victory at .93. Additionally, the Hawks allowed only 15 goals for the entire season, the third-lowest mark in the conference.
With a win on Thursday, the Hawks will advance to the NE10 Finals, their first trip to the championship game since they won it all in 1991.
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