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Sophie Smith and field hockey teammates celebrate goal
4
Winner Saint Anselm STA (2-0, 0-0)
0
Franklin Pierce FPU (0-2, 0-0)
Winner
Saint Anselm STA
(2-0, 0-0)
4
Final
0
Franklin Pierce FPU
(0-2, 0-0)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Saint Anselm STA 1 1 1 1 4
Franklin Pierce FPU 0 0 0 0 0

Game Recap: Field Hockey |

No. 6 Field Hockey Shuts Out Franklin Pierce in Season Opener, 4-0

RINDGE, N.H. – The No. 6 Saint Anselm College field hockey team opened its 2026 season with a dominant 4-0 victory over Franklin Pierce University on Friday afternoon at Sodexo Field.

Highlights

  • Junior Sophie Smith scored twice in the second half to lead the Hawks offensively. Her pair of tallies marked the first multi-goal game of her career.
  • Senior Meghan Smith and junior Ruby Reid each added a goal for Saint Anselm.
  • Juniors Leila Härtel, Maggie McCready, and Kelly Holmes and senior Laurentien van den Akker each recorded an assist.
  • Senior goalkeeper Mackenzie Wehrum made one save to earn the shutout, the 10th of her career.
  • Saint Anselm outshot Franklin Pierce, 24-4, and held a 9-4 advantage in penalty corners.
  • The Hawks held Franklin Pierce without a shot through the first half and limited the Ravens to just four attempts overall.
  • The Hawks have now won four consecutive contests against the Ravens, each coming in shutout fashion. Saint Anselm has outscored Franklin Pierce 17-0 over the four-game stretch.

How it Happened

Saint Anselm wasted little time finding the scoreboard, taking a 1-0 lead just 2:37 into the contest. Meghan Smith finished off the opening goal with an assist from Härtel, giving the Hawks an early advantage.

The Hawks continued to apply pressure throughout the opening quarter, earning five penalty corners and registering eight shots. Franklin Pierce was held without a shot during the opening 15 minutes.

Saint Anselm doubled its advantage with just over five minutes remaining in the second quarter. Reid found the back of the cage at the 19:57 mark, with McCready credited with the assist, as the Hawks carried a 2-0 lead into halftime.

The Hawks continued to control play coming out of the break, recording four shots during the third quarter before extending their advantage late in the period. Following a Saint Anselm penalty corner, van den Akker connected with Sophie Smith, who scored at the 40:55 mark to make it a 3-0 contest.

Franklin Pierce generated its best offensive opportunity of the afternoon late in the third quarter, but Wehrum turned aside a shot from Jocelyn Valleau to preserve the shutout.

Saint Anselm added its fourth goal early in the fourth quarter when Sophie Smith found the cage for the second time at 51:46. Holmes set up the play with an assist following a takeaway in the midfield, pushing the Hawks' lead to 4-0.

The Saint Anselm defense closed out the contest without allowing another shot, securing the season-opening shutout.

Up Next

Saint Anselm (1-0) returns home Sunday, Sep. 6 when the Hawks welcome eighth-ranked Bloomsburg University (1-0) to Grappone Stadium. Opening


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