PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – Beginning their quest for an NE10 Tournament Championship, the 11th-ranked Pace University men's lacrosse team (No. 4 seed) earned a 16-10 win over fifth-seeded Bentley in the quarterfinal round on Saturday night.
The victory advances the Setters (13-3, 8-3) to the NE10 semifinals where they will meet top-seeded Adelphi on Wednesday night. Pace's 13 triumphs this year are the second most in a single season in program history.
The duo of Connor Vercruysse (Yorktown Heights, NY/Yorktown) and Daniel Keenan (Mount Sinai, NY/Mount Sinai) was once again lethal on the attack for Pace. They each finished the night with five goals, while combining for 13 total points.
Keenan, who currently leads the NE10 in points, scored three straight goals in the first half to give the Blue and Gold a 7-4 lead at 8:38 of the second quarter.
Bradley Paterson (Caldwell, NJ/Depaul Catholic), Joseph Diggle (West Islip, NY/West Islip) and Wyatt Barfoot (Georgian Bluffs, Ontario/St. Mary's) rounded out the five goal-scorers for Pace. Paterson chipped in his third hat trick of the season, while Diggle finished with five points (2g, 3a).
Tied 3-3 late in the first quarter, the Setters used a quick 4-0 run to gain separation that they would never relinquish. Pace held at least a three-goal advantage over the final 39:16 of regulation.
Another 3-0 spurt in the fourth quarter provided the Blue and Gold with their largest lead of the game at 16-9 with less than five minutes left.
