GARDEN CITY, N.Y.- Another top-5 matchup went to the Setters. Pace Women’s Lacrosse defeated the Adelphi University Panthers 12-11 on the road. It is their first victory over their rivals on their home turf, Motamed Field, one year after beating them for the first time ever last year. The Setters’ record improves to 11-0, 5-0 in the NE-10.
Quarter 1 was uncharacteristically sluggish for Pace. They mustered just one goal on only 6 shots. Angelina Porcello cashed in at the 5:50 mark. Adelphi however broke ahead with a 4-1 lead. They initially led by 2 and finished with a lead of 3, bookending Porcello’s goal with 2.
Pace scored twice as the 12th minute ticked to 11. Mackenzie Carita on a free position made it 2. The third came from the stick of Porcello. Maddie Schubert tied the game at 7:38 from a pass by Juvelier. The Panthers answered in just 90 seconds to retake their lead, 5-4. Both teams forced turnovers and groundballs. Finally with 58 seconds left in the half Juvelier scored for her second point of the game. The heavyweight match was even at 5 going into the break.
Adelphi scored first, breaking the tie just 2 and a half minutes out of the break. Margaret Floco from a Nikki Mottes pass tied it at 6 with 6:19 to go. Schubert got another goal to retake the lead. Juvelier got goal number 2 and point number 3 to make it 8-6. Then it was Mottes to Flocco again to up the lead to 3 as the final frame approached.
The opening of quarter 4 was all Panthers. Adelphi got 3 goals in 90 seconds. The first made it 9-7 with 13:32 to go. By 12:03 the match was even again. Flocco completed a hattrick scoring on the ensuing draw, again courtesy of Mottes. Juvelier finished a hattrick of her own, scoring to make it 11-9 with just over 9 minutes to go. Then Schubert’s turn, her third made it a 3-goal lead, 12-9 with 8:43 left.
Adelphi ratcheted up intensity rattling off 3 shots that wouldn’t go. The Panthers got one back with just over 3 minutes left. Then before it reached 2 minutes, the home team cut the lead to one. Adelphi won the draw and looked to tie again. However, in their attack a ground ball was forced, and Pace collected and cleared with 1:06 to go. A final timeout by Coach Tricia Molfetta allowed her players to run the clock out.
Mottes led with 4 points, all assists. Also reaching 4 was Juvelier. Schubert and Flocco had 3 points, Porcello tallied 2 via goals, and Carita and Sheehan chipped in points.
The win meant win number 7 over a team to be nationally ranked or received votes out of 11 played. The next road trip is up north to Colchester, Vermont. Saint Michael’s College will be hosting the Setters today at 6:00 pm. Watch live on ne10now.tv