PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – After tallying a perfect 13-0 record inside the conference this season, the Pace University field hockey team was rewarded with six slots on the Northeast-10 All-Conference Teams. The Setters also nabbed a pair of major awards as head coach
Kayte Kinsley was selected as the league's Coach of the Year and freshman
Grace Henderson (Kingswood, South Australia/Unley) was anointed the NE10 Rookie of the Year.
Seniors
Paige Predmore (Harrisburg, PA/Susquehanna Township) and
Halley Rose (Dauphin, PA/Central Dauphin) were named to the NE10 First Team, while classmate
Jane Kasparian (Mahopac, NY/Mahopac) and sophomore
Mia Lennon (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Lakeland) earned second-team honors. Senior
Katrina Mikitish (Pittston, PA/Pittston Area) rounded out Pace's honorees with a bid to the Third Team.
Coach Kinsley led the Setters to a remarkable 17-1 record this fall, including an unblemished run through the Northeast-10 Conference. Pace finished the regular season on a 14-game winning streak, capped off by wins over No. 9 Stonehill and No. 5 Merrimack. Kinsley's squad was rewarded with their highest ranking in school history, being slotted No. 2 in the country in the final two NFHCA National Polls. The Setters are now in prime position to receive their first-ever NCAA Tournament bid in just their fourth year as a program.
Kinsley, now in her third season at the helm of Pace field hockey, has piloted the Blue and Gold to a mark of 32-5 over the past two seasons. The Setters have lost just one regular-season game at home during that span, going 17-0 inside the friendly confines of Finnerty Field. Kinsley's team has made defense its main priority as the squad led the country in goals-against average a year ago while ranking second nationally in that department this season.
Henderson's dominance in net has been a big reason for the Setters' success this season. She has started every single game for Pace, and currently leads the country in both wins (17) and goals-against average (0.73). In fact, Henderson has allowed eight fewer goals than any other keeper in the NE10 this season. She has tallied five shutouts, while allowing just one goal in 11 other contests.
Rose was named to the All-Conference First Team after leading the Setters' attack this season. The senior forward, who is the program's all-time leading scorer, had a team-high 15 goals to go along with five assists. Rose collected a point in 13 of the Blue and Gold's games, including points in 11 contests during Pace's 14-game winning streak.
Joining Rose on the NE10 First Team is her classmate Predmore. The senior midfielder was a vital piece of Pace's shutdown defense that allowed an average of 0.83 goals per contest, starting all 19 contests while playing 70 or more minutes in 10. Predmore also got involved in the Blue and Gold offense, scoring three goals and collecting five assists.
Another midfielder that contributed to the Setters' defensive dominance, Kasparian was selected to the All-Conference Second Team. The senior also started in all 19 games for the Blue and Gold, logging more than 1,000 minutes of playing time. Kasparian recorded one assist on the season in Pace's triumph over Assumption on Oct. 9.
Kasparian is joined by Lennon on the Second Team. The sophomore defender made an immediate impact in her first season at Pace, scoring five goals and a team-leading six assists to finish third on the team in scoring. Lennon was one of two members of the roster to play every minute this season, while her two-way play earned her a pair of National Defensive Player of the Week nods from Synapse Sports.
Mikitish is the lone Setter representative on the NE10 Third Team. The senior midfielder started all 19 games, including playing the full duration of Pace's final six contests of the season. Mikitish had a pair of goals to go along with three assists, and scored the game-winner against Southern Connecticut State on Oct. 17.
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