MANCHESTER, N.H. – An early 5-0 deficit proved to be too much for the ninth-ranked Pace University men's lacrosse team in a 12-7 loss to No. 20 Saint Anselm on Wednesday afternoon. The defeat shifts the Setters' record to 5-4 overall this season and 4-3 inside the NE10.

Inside the Numbers
*The Blue and Gold's seven goals marked their second-lowest total of the year. Pace was only able to notch one tally in the first half, going down 5-1 at the break.

*Senior goalkeeper Robert Beshlian (Wantagh, NY/Wantagh) kept Pace in the game with 13 saves in net. Beshlian has totaled 10 or more stops in all but one game this season.

*The Setters had six different players record their seven goals. Bradley Paterson (Caldwell, NJ/Depaul Catholic) and Wyatt Barfoot (Georgian Bluffs, Ontario/St. Mary's) each registered a team-best three points.

*In addition to Paterson and Barfoot, Daniel Keenan (Mount Sinai, NY/Mount Sinai), Peter Bashar (Stratford, CT/St. Joseph), Joshua Kreitler (Shelton, CT/Shelton), and Joseph Diggle (West Islip, NY/West Islip) also added tallies.

*Daniel Lewis (Bohemia, NY/Connetquot) led Pace with five ground balls, while Patrick Mulcahy (West Islip, NY/West Islip) and Matthew Simone (Seaford, NY/Seaford) each had a team-high two caused turnovers.

How it Happened
The Hawks seized the early momentum, scoring the first five goals of the game. Matt Ward and Patrick Sweeney each found the back of the net twice as Saint Anselm led 5-0 mid-way through the second quarter.

The Setters got on the board with a Barfoot tally at the 3:59 mark of the second quarter. Pace went into the locker room down 5-1.

The Hawks added another goal to begin the second half before Pace started to chip away.

The Setters answered the five-goal deficit with three-straight tallies in the third quarter. Keenan, Bashar and Paterson all found the back of the net to slim the lead to 6-4 with 7:56 left in the frame.

Saint Anselm responded the brief Pace run with a 4-0 stretch of its own to end the third and begin the fourth. A goal from Anthony Busconi provided Saint Anselm with its largest advantage of the game at 10-4 with 12:03 left in regulation.

Diggle, Paterson and Kreitler all scored in the fourth quarter for Pace, but the Setters were unable to get closer than four goals the rest of the way.

Up Next
The Setters will return to the friendly confines of Pace Stadium on Saturday to take on No. 2 Merrimack at noon.