PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – In the first Northeast-10 Conference Tournament match in program history, the No. 8 Pace University field hockey team was defeated by Assumption College, 2-1, in overtime on Tuesday afternoon.

Following a defensive stalemate in regulation, offensive opportunities were fast and furious in the overtime period. With the field opened up, both the Setters and Greyhounds generated scoring chances on breakaways and key passing. Ultimately, it would be sixth-seeded Assumption capitalizing first, as Allison Sheahan knocked in her second goal of the game past Pace goalkeeper Lesly Sanchez Alvarez (Stamford, CT/Stamford) ten minutes into the period to send the Greyhounds to the second round of the conference tournament.

The third-seeded Setters (15-4, 9-3 NE10) got on the board first, as freshman Lisette de Bruin (Bilthoven, Netherlands/Het Nieuwe Lyceum) scored her seventh goal of the season 10 minutes into the opening half. While it appeared that the Blue and Gold offense was going to control the flow of the game following the early score, the defenses for both squads quickly took over and shut down all attacking chances. Assumption took a 5-2 shot advantage into halftime, but outside of de Bruin's score, any offensive pressure was quickly snuffed out.

The second half continued the defensive dominance, as the two teams combined for just three shots in the final 35 minutes. The Greyhounds were limited to just a single shot in the half by the stingy Pace defense, but were able to capitalize on it in a big way as Sheahan knotted the game at 1-1 in the 37^th minute.

The change of tempo in the overtime period was immediate, as Sanchez Alvarez made three saves in rapid succession in the first minute. The Setters fired back with four shots of their own in three minutes, but were not able to find the back of the cage. Junior Halley Rose (Dauphin, PA/Central Dauphin) almost ended the game five minutes into the period when she carried the ball into the Greyhound zone on a breakaway, but Assumption goalie Sarah Bodzinski made the biggest of her five saves in getting in front of Rose before she could generate a full-strength shot. The Greyhounds would ride the momentum of the stop by recording the final four shots of the game, including Sheahan's game-winner.

Sanchez Alvarez made six saves in 80-plus minutes in the cage, with four coming in the overtime period. The senior continues to lead the NE10 with a 0.88 goals-against average and .830 save percentage. Senior Margaret Maclean (Ellicott City, MD/Centennial) also recorded a defensive save in the match, her eighth of the year.

De Bruin led the Pace offense with three shots, all of which were on goal. Juniors Paige Predmore (Harrisburg, PA/Susquehanna Township) and Jane Kasparian (Mahopac, NY/Mahopac) each also had a shot on net in the Setters' overtime attack.

The Setters, who are currently ranked No. 8 in the nation, will now see if they can earn an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA Division II Field Hockey Selection Show is set for Monday, Nov. 6 at 3 p.m.