Sometimes a team’s greatest defense is their offense. That was just the case last Saturday afternoon as the Saint Anselm College Field Hockey team pounded Southern Connecticut College by a score of  7-0 at Grappone Stadium.

The Hawks were firing on all cylinders from the beginning of the game, attempting three corners within the first seven minutes. The Owls defense finally broke out about 15 minutes into the first half when senior Abby Walker scored on a pass from sophomore Hannah Potter. The Hawks weren’t finished their offensive outburst. Senior Maddie Bressler scored a pair of goals, followed by a goal from sophomore Ericka Meissner. Capping off the scoring barrage was Potter whose goal with 47 seconds left in the first half secured a 5-0 lead for the Hawks going into the break.

The second half began the same way the first half ended; with the Hawks scoring two more goals before taking the foot off the gas pedal for the remainder of the second half. Freshmen Andrea McNeil scored her first career goal shortly after the half began, and freshmen Carly LaCasse joined the fun scoring her fourth goal of the season around the 27 minute mark of the second half. Junior goalkeeper Brianna Craft was busy guarding the net for the Owls, stopping 13 of 18 shots on goal amounting to a .722 save percentage.

As a team, the Hawks took advantage of the winless Owls on the offensive end by taking 33 shots on the goal, compared to just two from Southern Connecticut. The Hawks also attempted 12 penalty corners while the Owls only attempted two.

The Hawks continued to roll as they pounded Saint Thomas Aquinas the very next day by a score of 6-1. The Hawks dominated offensively, taking 25 shots on goal while attempting 20 penalty corners. Saint Thomas Aquinas was stymied from the initial whistle, only attempting three shots and one penalty corner. Senior Abby Walker began the scoring with a hat trick, scoring three times for the first time in her career. Bressler, Potter, and Junior Kaeleigh Lord added goals to cap off an impressive weekend for the Hawks.

The Hawks continue their late surge of winning with four consecutive victories improving their overall record to 6-3 while their NE10 record sits at 3-1. They will look to continue their hot stretch of good play as they travel to the Big Apple next Saturday for a showdown with Pace University.