The Saint Anselm College men’s lacrosse team is now ranked sixteenth overall in NCAA Division II after five straight important conference victories. The latest victory for the Hawks was their win against Assumption College. This win pushed the Hawks’ record to eight wins and three losses. Ten of the eleven games played on the season by the Hawks have been conference games. This has put their conference record at seven wins and three losses on the year.

In the game against Assumption, the Hawks got out to a six to zero lead and never looked back on route to a convincing twelve to three victory. Senior Ryan Hesseltine fired home four goals and two assists for six points while freshman Matt Ward continued his torrid stretch of offensive prowess, potting three goals and one assist for four points. Freshman Xavier Quinn and junior Anthony Busconi each notched two goals and two assists.

The Hawks fired forty-two shots in the game, limiting the host Greyhounds to only twenty-four on the day. Saint Anselm also forced Assumption into fourteen turnovers on the day with Derrick LaBranche and Teo Olsen each causing three opponent miscues.

Prior to this victory over Assumption College, the Hawks defeated the Purple Knights of Saint Michael’s College on Tuesday, April 17 in a game played at Grappone Stadium on Saint Anselm’s campus. Junior Patrick Sweeney scored three man-up goals for the Hawks in the 10-4 victory over Saint Michael’s. Junior Anthony Busconi and freshman Matt Ward fired home two goals and tallied as many assists. Junior Xavier Quinn, senior Drew Bourdeau and freshman Ryan Richards rounded out the goal scoring with a single goal each.

This game saw several incredible defensive plays from the Hawks. The Hawks had a great defensive performance. Freshman Thomas Mapstone led the defensive corps with six ground balls while classmate Allen Jarabek won six of the twelve draws he took. Junior netminder Nick Richard stopped a career-high fifteen shots in the successful defensive performance.

Prior to the victory over Saint Michael’s, the Hawks defeated Bentley University on senior day at Grappone Stadium on Saint Anselm’s campus. The Hawks picked up a fourteen to eight victory over visiting Bentley University on Saturday, April 14.

Senior Ryan Hesseltine picked up three goals and three assists for the Hawks, tallying six points on offense. Junior Anthony Busconi fired home a team-high four goals for the Hawks, registering nine shots as the Hawks reached 50-plus shots as a team for the third time this season.

Freshman Matt Ward struck for two goals and an assist and classmate Griffin Shoemaker scored twice. Freshman Sean Tomaszewski, freshman Allen Jarabek and junior Patrick Sweeney rounded out the scoring with one goal each. Jarabek and classmate Thomas Mapstone recorded seven and six ground balls, respectively.

Finally, the Hawks picked up a very important win over ninth-ranked Pace University at Grappone Stadium on Wednesday, April 11. Wednesday’s win snapped a five-game losing skid to the Setters and was the Hawks’ first over a top-10 opponent since Feb. 27, 2012. This game was a game filled with storylines, none more important than the fact that Pace edged Saint Anselm in overtime to eliminate the Hawks from the NorthEast-10 conference playoffs last year.

In the game against Pace, freshman Matt Ward registered a career-high five points, notching four goals and an assist. Junior Anthony Busconi registered three goals and three assists, leading the team in overall point scoring and senior Ryan Hesseltine matched junior Patrick Sweeney with two goals apiece. Hesseltine set a career-high mark with 22 points this season, notching 11 goals and as many assists.

The sixteenth ranked Saint Anselm Hawks welcome twelfth ranked Long Island University – Post to Grappone Stadium this Tuesday, April 24 at 3:30 p.m.