The Pace Setter field hockey team (6-12, 3-9 NE-10) concluded their inaugural season in late October. They ended the season with 2 shutouts and some close wins, including a double overtime win vs. nationally ranked Long Island University Post in the home opener for the Setters at Finnerty Field on September 16.

Forwards Halley Rose and Quirine Van Der Meijs had standout seasons for the Setters and were the first field hockey athletes in Pace University history to make the NE-10 Conference All Rookie Team.

Rose was first on the team in scoring with seven goals and 17 points. Van Der Meijs led the team in assists with four and ranked second in scoring with four goals and 10 points.

Rose looked back on the season and remembered her first game as one of her most memorable moments.

“My goal vs. Millersville,” Rose said. “They were the defending national champs and that was a good goal.”

Pace fell to Millersville 3-2 in their first game as a program.

The 3-0 win over Dowling University was Van Der Meijs’ most memorable moment from the season.

“I scored twice,” Van Der Meijs said. “That was the game I really broke out.”

20 players on the 25-woman roster are freshman. However, forward Margaret Maclean and midfielder Brittany Predmore were players who joined the Setters with prior experience playing field hockey in other colleges.

“It is as intense as last year but definitely more fun,” said Maclean, who played at Millersville University before coming to Pace.

“I didn’t have fun last year, which made me transfer because I didn’t want to play anymore, but [Head] Coach Valerie [Hickman] really made it fun for me again,” Maclean said. “She made me love the sport again and that was huge difference.”

Maclean’s shining moment came against then No. 5 ranked LIU Post at Finnerty Field. She scored the winning goal in double overtime to give the Setters their first win on their home turf.

Predmore came to Pace from Lock Haven University, a Division I school, and said that playing for Pace was harder than playing at the D-I level.

“For me it was more intense as far as preseason goes,” Predmore said. “I thought Division II would be easier but three-a-days, I was not used to.”

She also agreed with Mclean that although playing for Pace was harder, it was more enjoyable for her.

“It was more enjoyable than the experience I had at the school before,” Predmore said. “[Hickman] and all the girls being open, flexible and willing to make friends and try new stuff. We all understood that we were experiencing the difference together and we were going to make it work.”

Hickman was proud of her team’s success during the season and saw growth in her team with each game.

“What has been really great is watching them grow as people,” Hickman said. “They just have this ability to push harder and dig deeper. They always have more to give, and during the season they constantly kept giving more and it didn’t matter if they were down two goals, they never ever gave up and I absolutely loved that about them.”

Hickman and her players are excited about the program’s future and have high expectations for next season.

“Next year I want to have a better shot percentage,” said Hickman, whose team had a .113 shot percentage. “I want to take a lot more shots on goal and convert them. I want to convert better on penalty corners so that we are capitalizing on those man up situations. I want to have quite a few more shutouts.”

The shot on goal percentage was .591 and they averaged 11.3 shots per game this year.

The team had two shutouts this year against Dowling and Southern New Hampshire.

“If we score more and have more penalty corners and are effective, we will have shutouts,” Hickman said.

The first year coach also stressed the importance of her players getting good grades in the classroom and being model citizens.

“A big theme for our team is being a good person,” Hickman said. “The girls are really great about that and they will come and talk to me. It’s wonderful.”