Pace Field Hockey had plenty of reasons for optimism coming into the year. Last year they made the NCAA Tournament. This year, most of the same roster was back including Krista Dietz, last year’s NE-10 Player of The Year. However, some offensive firepower left the team. Still, Pace was ranked to start the year. They were projected to finish third in the NE-10 as voted by the Coaches of the Conference.

While a tough start to the season, a defeat to 8th nationally ranked Bloomsburg University, losing to a ranked opponent as a ranked team holds no reason for worry. What was concerning was the number of goals given up. The Huskies scored 7 en route to their top-10 victory over the Setters. It was getting held scoreless in two quarters. A second and fourth quarter without goals doomed them, never mind only scoring in the third.

Then came NE-10 play, Southern New Hampshire being first up. That’s who fell to the Setters in last year’s NE-10 Tournament. This time, however, it was their turn to hand defeat to Pace, SNHU claiming a 3-2 victory at home. Perhaps back home with a few games under their belt and a familiar foe in East Stroudsburg coming to Finnerty Field, it would mean win #1—instead, a third defeat and dropping  to 0-3 on the season.

Something happened between that last game on September 11 and the next one on September 14 at Frostburg State University. Maybe a new approach at practice or a speech from Coach Kayte Biordi. Perhaps players were hashing it out at a players’ meeting. Whatever it was, it worked for the Setters. Their groove has returned.

Pace has since played Versus Frostburg State University on September 14, Slippery Rock University on September 16, and Indiana University of Pennsylvania on September 21. In the conference, it went Adelphi on September 25 and Saint Anselm just last Saturday. The Setters’ defense allowed in order: 2 goals, 1 goal, 2 goals, 1 goal, 2 goals. That marks a full week of less than 3 goals since East Stroudsburg put up 4. On Offense, it went 3 goals, 4 goals, 3, 2, then 1 in a close defeat to the Hawks on the road. Versus IUP, it easily could have been 4 goals again, with multiple shots ringing off crossbars.

Sitting at 4-4, there is work to be done. Momentum is on these Setters’ side. Three out of the last four wins have been victories, a 4th escaping by mere seconds. Luckily, there are 10 games left in the season. All of them are NE-10 opponents. Six of them are at home. One of them is ranked, versus Assumption University this Saturday at home. There is reason for optimism. There remains a window of opportunity to reach a top seed within the NE-10. But it is how Pace finishes, that will matter.