PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – It did not take long for the eighth-ranked Pace University field hockey team to strike first in Wednesday's contest against Northeast-10 foe Southern Connecticut State University. Sophomore Abby Stucker (Wilkes-Barre, PA/Holy Redeemer) was able to find the back of the net just 54 seconds into the first half, paving the way for an eventual 4-1 victory by the Blue and Gold.

The win improves the Setters' record to 14-3 on the season, and the team is now 8-3 in the NE10.

Stucker's second goal of the season set the tempo for a Setters offense that was dominant in the opening half, launching 19 shots that yielded three goals in the first 35 minutes of play. Five minutes after Stucker's score, freshman Lisette de Bruin (Bilthoven, Netherlands/Het Nieuwe Lyceum) knocked in her fifth goal of the season.

The Owls managed to pull within one in the 14^th minute off a goal by Chloe Knight, but the Setters recorded the final strike of the half. Junior Jane Kasparian (Mahopac, NY/Mahopac) was able to bury home a feed from classmate Paige Predmore (Harrisburg, PA/Susquehanna Township) to give the Setters a 3-1 advantage in the closing seconds of the half. For Kasparian, it was her team-leading sixth goal of the season. Predmore is now tied with de Bruin and junior Halley Rose (Dauphin, PA/Central Dauphin) with a team-best four assists.

The Setters added a final insurance goal late in the second half, as junior Katrina Mikitish (Pittston, PA/Pittston Area) scored her second of the season with five and a half minutes left in regulation. Despite recording only one tally in the half, Pace dominated possession for the closing 35 minutes, playing a majority of the time on SCSU's side of the field. The Setters outshot the Owls in the half, 10-1.

Senior goalkeeper Lesly Sanchez Alvarez (Stamford, CT/Stamford) had another strong showing in net, making five saves in the full 70 minutes of action. Her 14 goals against remain the fewest given up by all NE10 goalies this season. She also leads the conference with a .839 save percentage and a 0.81 goals-against average. She is second in the nation in both categories.

The Blue and Gold won the shots battle, 29-6, with the Setters putting 21 of their shots on net. Pace also recorded 15 penalty corners compared to SCSU's five.

Up Next
The Setters close out the regular season on Saturday with a home game against NE10 rival, Saint Michael's College. The team will be celebrating Senior Day with a 4 p.m. start.