More often than not, Saint Anselm has either been an afterthought or an also-ran in Northeast-10 women’s soccer. The Hawks have also struggled for relevance in their state, with traditional Division 2 power Franklin Pierce and rising Southern New Hampshire doubling as conference foes.
"We don’t have to go beyond our borders to get some incredible competition," Saint Anselm coach Joel Bancroft said.
Times change, however, and programs evolve. The Hawks reached their first-ever NCAA Tournament in 2021, led by sophomore forward Olivia Gotobed (North Andover, Mass).
Gotobed’s first season should have been 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic scrapped it. When she finally took the field in 2021 for her first college campaign, Gotobed scored a team-leading eight goals, including four match-winning tallies.
