Sweet Takes: Seniors Honored on Winter Sports Teams
Women’s basketball crushes Saint Michael’s 71-38 on Senior Day
March 2, 2022
Saint Anselm College sports have shined bright these past few weeks. Saturday, February 19 was Senior Day for the Men’s and Women’s basketball teams and Men’s hockey team. The Women’s hockey team had a Pink in the Rink weekend instead and their Senior Day a week later on Saturday, February 26. It’s a busy time for Hawks sports, with some seasons starting up in a couple of weeks and others winding down and heading into conference playoffs.
Be on the lookout for Spring sports starting up around campus, as Men’s golf, Men’s and Women’s lacrosse and baseball and softball begin their seasons.
Men’s lacrosse started their season off strong, winning their season opener 14-5 over Chestnut Hill in Philadelphia. Women’s lacrosse has their season opener at home on March 5 versus Southern Connecticut State.
Men’s Basketball
The Men’s basketball team looks as dominant as ever after a blowout Senior Day win over Saint Michael’s 96-60. Chris Paul, Gustav Suhr-Jessen, Alonzo Jackson and Joey Belli were all recognized on Senior Day for the Hawks before the tip off.
The Hawks boast a deep, talented roster, where anyone can have a big-time performance on any given night. The team was firing on all cylinders on Senior Day, with five players in double figures. When the Hawks share the ball like this, getting everyone involved, they’re a tough team to beat and certainly one of the best in the nation.
Chris Paul made history, joining elite company and becoming the eighth player in program history to surpass 1,800 career points.
The Hawks have a lot of faith in their brand of basketball, and they expect to make noise in the NE10 tournament. “Our mentality is to go into every game with a mindset to win,” said Suhr-Jessen.
The team finished the regular season 15-9 overall and 11-8 in NE10 play, good enough to secure the Hawks the #3 seed in the Northeast Division. On Saturday, February 26, the Hawks downed Southern Connecticut State 84-65 in a first-round playoff matchup at home. Be on the lookout for the Hawks to bring more of the same energy into their quarterfinal road tilt against New Haven on Monday, February 28.
Women’s Basketball
The Women’s basketball team picked up a huge statement win on Senior Day, nearly doubling up Saint Michael’s 71-38. Seniors Jenoyce Laniyan, Peyton Steinman and Stephanie Jankovic were all honored prior to the game.
Steinman has been the backbone of this Hawks team this season. Senior Day was no different with Steinman dropping 29 points and reeling in 13 rebounds to complete the double double. Steinman also surpassed the 1,700 career points mark, something only one other player in program history has accomplished.
“It’s an honor to join the company passing 1,700 points. It’s really cool that I share it with former teammate, Shannon Ryan, and to even be around her number is exciting,” said Steinman.
The Hawks finished 14-12 on the regular season and 10-9 in NE10 play, earning them the #4 seed in the Northeast Division. This team has fought through adversity this season and is battle tested for the NE10 playoffs. The Hawks pushed past American International 61-53 in their first round home playoff game on February 26. Now the Hawks are set to make the trip to Syracuse on Monday, February 28 to face Le Moyne in the NE10 quarterfinals.
Men’s Hockey
The Men’s hockey season came to an end on Saturday, February 26 in their home playoff opener versus Stonehill. The Hawks fought hard until the very end but were beaten 5-4 in a high-powered offensive overtime game. Prior to this, the Men’s hockey team was on a tear during the final stretch of the regular season, and their hot streak helped secure the #2 overall seed in the NE10 tournament playoffs.
On Senior Day, the Hawks honored their six leaders, captain Trevor Hott, captain Kilian Hammersmith, Sean Healy, Kevin Ouellette, Anthony Iacullo and Alex Daccord. Unfortunately, the Hawks lost 3-2 in overtime in a hard-fought, back-and-forth battle with SNHU. But before this game, the Hawks had been unstoppable, winning five straight, including a huge 2-1 OT win over SNHU Friday, February 18, the night before Senior Day.
Junior assistant captain Andrew Andary is also a semifinalist for the Joe Concannon Award, given to the best US Division II/III hockey player in New England. Andary has had a season to remember with an incredible 33 points in just 24 games. He’s netted 16 goals and dished out 17 assists.
While the Hawks are disappointed to see their season come to a close, the team had a great 2021-2022 campaign and are hungry to get back to work next year.
“I’m proud of the guys for the work they’ve put in all year. The seniors helped build a culture that we look forward to continuing next season,” said Andary.
Women’s Hockey
The Women’s hockey team powered through their Pink in the Rink weekend, picking up two big home wins over Sacred Heart. The Hawks shutout Sacred Heart 3-0 in the Friday, February 18 game and clawed past Sacred Heart 3-2 in overtime on Saturday.
The Hawks have stayed red hot, closing out their regular season with two home wins over Saint Michaels on Friday, February 25 and Saturday, February 26.
Before the regular-season finale, the Hawks honored their five seniors, Kendra Currier, Sarah Cahill, Erin Meyers, Blue Fancy and Kelly Golini.
The Hawks are now a solid 14-12-3 on the season, playing very well as Saint Anselm’s sole Division I program. Closing out the regular season on a four-game win streak is just what the team needed to charge up and build momentum rolling into the NE10 playoffs. Plus the Hawks are fresh off wins against Saint Michael’s, their first-round opponent in the New England Women’s Hockey Alliance (NEWHA) playoffs.
The Hawks are the #3 seed in the playoffs, and they are set to host #6 seed Saint Michael’s on Tuesday, March 1 at 7p.m. Be sure to go out and support the team in their playoff opener.
“We are going to focus on the things we can control and try our best to play with composure by playing cohesively and avoiding penalties,” said Junior Margaret Sullivan.
