EAST STROUDSBURG, PA- Pace Field Hockey toppled the number field hockey team in Division II with a win over the East Stroudsburg University Warriors. They did it on the road and put their record over .500.
The team had a home game at Northwell Stadium, welcoming Frostburg State University on September 10. The home team came up on top in double overtime 5-4. From there it was back on the bus heading westbound to Pennsylvania. East Stroudsburg with one of the nation’s top offenses awaited them.
That offense would prove why the Warriors. Immediately from the first whistle, they were on the attack. In the 2nd minute, East Stroudsburg got a penalty corner and 3 shots, though all were blocked by Pace’s defense. Another penalty corner came at 4:06 for the Warriors, this time saved by goalkeeper Celeste Pagliaroli. Pagliaroli got her second save on another penalty corner 15 seconds before the 6th minute and another before the 8th minute. The Pace defense would give up their fourth and fifth penalty corners within 10 seconds of each other at 8:58 and 9:05. It would take a ninth corner of the quarter for the Warriors to get one past Pagliaroli, making it 1-0 at 13:40 and into the quarter’s finish.
East Stroudsburg would record their 16-21st shots of the game before Pace finally got their first. A penalty corner awarded to the Setters got them the tying goal just before the 29th minute. Julia Eshleman the senior forward put it in the back of the net to make it even. Passing her way was junior midfielder Melissa Ritchie. At halftime, it was 1-1.
Out of halftime, Noelle Meij for Pace broke the deadlock. She made it 2-1 right before the clock turned to the 35th minute scoring off a pass from Eshleman. East Stroudsburg answered with their very next shot. Jady van Gils tied it at 2 at 37:31. Another penalty corner granted to the Warriors in the 39th minute meant another goal, this time from Maddy Barbush. East Stroudsburg got three more shots before quarter 3 ended. Two missed the cage, one was saved by Pagilaroli.
Quarter four had much more grit and battle for possession. It would be East Stroudsburg who would get the most shots in the quarter with 5. Pace had 2 for the fourth, one from the stick of NE-10 First Team member Krista Dietz. One she would not miss. The game was tied 3-3 at 54:46, just over 5 minutes to go in the fourth. Pace’s defense would make a solid stand allowing no shots on goal. There would be an extra period of field hockey upon the buzzer sounding.
For the first 5 minutes of extra time, nothing ends up on the score sheet. Everything was clean from deflections and other defenses. East Stroudsburg would get at shot off a little after the 65th minute, but a defender for Pace blocks it. They got another in the 66th, and Pagliaroli made the save. A penalty corner for the Warriors in the 67th would have another shot deflected. Going the other way off the batted ball, was Dietz who dished it to sophomore midfielder Tavia Flecksteiner for the win. The upset was clinched, and the home crowd was silent over the air.
Yesterday’s win marked the biggest upset in Pace Field Hockey History. It surpassed last year’s NE-10 Quarterfinal victory over 6th-ranked Assumption College. The Setters have now won two straight to close out non-conference competition
Eshelman finished with 3 points by way of goal and two assists. Dietz had a goal and an assist for 2 points. As a team Pace was massively outshot by East Stroudsburg 36-8. They surrendered 16 penalty corners to the home team who in comparison gave up just 6. Pagliaroli was the much busier goalkeeper. She made 15 saves on the day in comparison to 3 for East Stroudsburg’s Amy Supey. What Pace did get the numerical advantage on was the goals, 4-3 the final score.
NorthEast-10 competition kicks off Saturday, September 16. The Setters come home for the first of two home games, this one versus Southern New Hampshire University. The second is on Wednesday, September 20 vs. Adelphi University. The game start for Saturday’s game is at 4:30 pm, 4:00 for Wednesday’s game. Watch both on ne10now.tv and follow the team along on paceuathletics.com