WORCESTER, Mass. -- Trailing 14-13 with less than seven minutes to go, Assumption used a 26-yard touchdown reception from junior Evan Butters to regain the lead 2:30 later as the Hounds defeated visiting Saint Anselm by a 24-14 final on Saturday night.

The win, played in front of a capacity crowd of over 2,000, is the eighth straight for Assumption over Saint Anselm dating back to the 2004 season.

After a scoreless first quarter, the Hounds got on the board early in the second quarter as junior Tad Beuchert connected on a 35-yard field goal to cap a 12-play, 62-yard drive for the 3-0 edgR. Saint Anselm answered back just 1:24 later though on a 3-yard touchdown run by Keith Charles to make it a 7-3 margin. The score was set up by a 56-yard run by Charles earlier in the possession.After a three and out by both teams to start the third quarter, the Hounds connected on a 28-yard scoring strike from Bobby Jordan to Adam Gruschow for the 10-7 edge.

The game stayed that way heading to the final quarter, typical of the last three games in the series between the two teams.Beuchert knocked in a 36-yard field goal on the first drive of the fourth for the Hounds that extended the lead to six at 13-7 with nine minutes remaining. Saint Anselm wasn't done though and behind three completions by Stephen Cuipa and a 33-yard rush by Cuipa, the Hawks marched into Assumption territory. Charles found the end zone from 1 yard out for his second touchdown of the game and silenced the crowd as the Hawks jumped in front 14-13 with 6:50 remaining.

Jordan and the Hounds took the field and drove 75 yards in eight plays, capped by the 26-yard scoring strike just inside the left pylon to Butters. Gruschow also pulled down a 29-yard pass across the middle on the drive to get Assumption into Saint Anselm territory. Assumption closed out the scoring with 1:04 left on the clock as Beuchert connected on a third field goal, this one coming from 34 yards out. Jordan finished the game 20-for-33 passing for 237 yards and two touchdowns.

Assumption improves to 1-1 overall and 1-0 in the Northeast-10, while Saint Anselm drops to 0-2 and 0-1 in league play.