WALTHAM, Mass. – The 10th-ranked Pace University women's lacrosse team had a four-game winning streak snapped on Saturday afternoon courtesy of a 14-13 defeat at No. 20 Bentley. The narrow loss moves the Setters to 9-4 overall this season, and 6-3 versus the Northeast-10 Conference.
Inside the Numbers
*Senior Casey Gelderman (Farmingville, NY/Sachem High School East) put in a team-high five goals on Saturday to lead the Setters' attack. Pace's leading scorer this season also nabbed three ground balls and a team-best eight draw controls.
*Courtney Pabst (East Patchogue, NY/Bellport) matched Gelderman's five points off three goals and a pair of assists. The junior continues to lead the Setters in points this season with 54.
*Freshman Emma Rafferty (Bay Shore, NY/Islip) supplemented Pace's offense with a pair of goals while Emily Ankabrandt (Scotia, NY/Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake), Angela Kelly (Garnerville, NY/North Rockland), Abby Haimson (Montville, NJ/Montville) also found the back of the net.
*Defensively, Jillian Oross (Bay Shore, NY/Bay Shore) posted six saves in net while Najmah James (Danbury, CT/Danbury) forced a season-high seven turnovers. As a team, Pace caused 17 Bentley turnovers.
*The Falcons' goalkeeper Eliza Bresler served as a difference-maker in the contest, posting 18 saves (12 in the first half). The Setters' offense kept the pressure on all game long, earning a 31-20 advantage in shots on goal.
How it Happened
It was a tight contest from the start as both teams traded goals in the early stages, leading to a 4-4 tie with a little over 20 minutes left in the first half. Â
The Falcons put together the game's first run, rattling off a 4-1 stretch to build up a 9-5 edge at the 7:23 mark. The Blue and Gold answered Bentley with three-straight goals of their own heading into halftime. Gelderman found the back of net twice for the visitors over the final six minutes, while Pabst capped off the scoring before the break.
The back and forth action continued into the second 30 as Bentley responded to Pace's end-of-the-first momentum with a 3-1 stretch following the break.
Down 12-9 with 17:04 remaining, the Setters put together their best stretch of the game over a 12-minute span. A Rafferty goal at the 16:13 mark kick-started a 4-0 run, leading to Pace taking its first lead since early in the first half, 13-12. Gelderman added two tallies in the stretch while Pabst yielded the one-goal edge with 4:12 left.
One minute later, Bentley secured the equalizer off a goal from Kathleen Gillespie. Julia Glavin would then score the game-winner for the Falcons with 2:18 left.
Pace put two shots on goal via free-position attempts over the final 1:27 of regulation, but both were saved by Bresler.
Up Next
The Setters return home to Pace Stadium to take on No. 24 Assumption on Tuesday night at 6 p.m.
