Hawks and Purple Knights to Meet in Final for First Time Since 2017-18.
MANSFIELD, Mass. - Saint Anselm and Saint Michael's, the two top seeds in the Northeast-10 Conference Ice Hockey Championship, earned convincing semifinal wins on Saturday evening to advance to the league final on Saturday, March 4. It will be the first meeting in the championship game between the two storied programs since 2017-18.
No. 1 Saint Anselm blanked No. 5 Franklin Pierce, 5-0, while No. 2 Saint Michael's outpaced No. 3 Assumption by a 7-3 margin. As the top overall seed, the Hawks have earned hosting rights for the NE10 Championship final, which will begin on Saturday at 1 p.m. All rounds of the Championship will be streamed live on NE10 NOW - the Conference's digital streaming platform - via NE10NOW.tv or by downloading the mobile app.
No. 1 Saint Anselm 5, No. 5 Franklin Pierce 0 - Box Score
MANCHESTER, N.H. – The Saint Anselm men's ice hockey team advanced to its league-best 18th Northeast-10 Conference Championship game on Saturday after downing in-state foe, Franklin Pierce, by a 5-0 score.
The top-seeded Hawks matched a program record for wins in a single season at 20, moving to 20-10-3 on the season. The fifth-seeded Ravens see their season come to a close at 11-20-2. Saint Anselm will meet Saint Michael's, the second-seed, in the NE10 Championship game which will be played at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 4 in the friendly confines of Sullivan Arena.
Senior goaltender Nick Howard moved into a tie for first all-time in career wins at 37, joining Tom Gavin '75 and Jim Merola '05 for the top spot in program history.
Senior co-captain Matt Hayes had a hand in four of the Hawks five goals, scoring two and assisting on two others. Senior co-captain Andrew Andary followed closely with one goal and two assists while junior Liam Lyons and freshman Garrett Alberti potted one goal apiece.
No. 2 Saint Michael's 7, No. 3 Assumption 3 - Box Score
SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. - On the strength of scoring five times in an 8:37 span of the second period, the second-seeded Saint Michael's men's ice hockey team pushed past No. 3 Assumption, 7-3, during a Northeast-10 Conference Championship semifinal on Saturday at Cairns Arena.
The Purple Knights booked a spot in their 11th NE10 title game and will visit No. 1 Saint Anselm next Saturday at 1 p.m. The traditional rivals will meet for a league crown for the eighth time.
Marshall Murphy made 34 saves in goal for Saint Michael's on Saturday, while seven different players tallied goals for the Purple Knights in the win over the Greyhounds.
NE10 ICE HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP
First Round: Tuesday, February 21st
Game #1: No. 3 Assumption 7, No. 6 Post 2
Game #2: No. 5 Franklin Pierce 3, No 4 SNHU 1
Semifinals: Saturday, February 25th
Game #3: No. 2 Saint Michael's 7, No. 3 Assumption 3
Game #4: No. 1 Saint Anselm 5, No. 5 Franklin Pierce 0
Championship Game: Saturday, March 4th
Game #5: No. 2 Saint Michael's at No. 1 Saint Anselm - 1:00 P.M.
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 13 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
