Football is back on the Hilltop and the Saint Anselm hawks are poised to continue their consistent run of success. Coming off of a 5-5 season where the team proved to be highly competitive, the team has the chance to take the NE-10 by storm. To open the season, the Hawks took on Pace in a non conference matchup. The Hawks dominated in a 37-10 victory. In the victory, Quarterback Drew Forkner threw for 162 yards and 3 TDs. He also did this with an efficient 14-19 passing. Ronan Noke also contributed with two passes, both of which resulted in touchdowns. In the rushing department, Sophomore Jake Croce led the way with 105 yards rushing on 17 carries. Drew Forkner also contributed on the ground with 80 yards rushing on 12 carries, including a 50 yard rush. Junior Emmanuel Laracuente also provided 51 yards rushing on an efficient 10 carries. Offensively the Hawks totalled for a whopping 434 yards of total offense. The victory also put Head Coach over the top as Saint Anselm football’s winningest Head Coach. The defense also was a menace totalling 3 sacks as well as getting an interception in what was a dominant performance by the team all around. Following the dominant performance in their first game of the season, the Hawks went on to take on NCAA Division I Merrimack in a very interesting matchup. While the Hawks had a great first game, their matchup against Merrimack was left to be desired. The team lost 31-6. The team just could not get going, with the offense struggling with 5-15 on third downs the entire game. Despite the loss the Hawks proved to show grit and fight. In their next matchup, the team went to Worcester to take on Assumption. In what was an interesting matchup of conference rivals, Assumption got the best of the Hawks, winning in a 30-8 contest. While the team lost, they proved to be more effective moving the ball in comparison to Assumption, leading in totals for most offensive statistics. The defense also held their own bottling up the Assumption offense. The achilles heel for Saint Anselm in this one was penalties. The Hawks totalled 9 penalties with that culminating in 85 penalty yardage. Currently, the Hawks sit at a 1-2 record, which puts them 5th in the NE-10. While their record says one story, the margins say another. The team has proven to be able to move the ball and stop their opponents. If the team tightens everything up, they will be a force to be reckoned with down the stretch this season. As for team leaders, Jake Croce leads the team and ranks 7th in the NE-10 in rushing yards with 148 yards. Drew Forkner sits 6th in the conference in passing yards. Defensively Aidan Noke leads the team in tackles with 23 which puts him 12th in the conference in total tackles. Noke also ranks 4th in the conference in sacks with 2. The road ahead for the Hawks seems to give them the opportunity to get back on track and back above .500. For starters, the team will be hosting Pace for their home opener on Saturday for Family Weekend at 1pm at Grappone Stadium. Following Pace, the team will be looking to take on Post out in Waterbury CT. After their matchup with Post, the Hawks will be back on the Hilltop for a matchup against Franklin Pierce on Oct 11. The Hawks have everything they need to succeed. They have an offense that has proven to put points on the board, a defense that can stop anyone and a great Head Coach. The ultimate question will they be able to put it all together to bring NE-10 glory to the Hilltop.