As we get set for the 2020-21 school year, we would like to revisit some of the major team and individual records that have been broken in recent seasons.
Following a three-win season in 2017, the Pace University football team buckled down in 2018 with a program-best 7-3 record and its best-ever finish since joining the Northeast-10 Conference.
In addition to leading the Setters to their best season in the program's Division II history, head coach
Andy Rondeau's fifth year at the helm ended with three straight wins to finish third in the Northeast-10 Conference standings for the program's highest-ever NE10 finish.
The historic campaign culminated with 11 members of the Blue and Gold being selected to
All-Conference teams. Running back
Jhalen Bien-Aime (Dorchester, Mass./Bridgton Academy) became the program's all-time leading rusher midway through the season, shattering the 34-year-old record by ending the year with 2,242 yards for his career. 2018 marked the second straight year that Bien-Aime rushed for seven touchdowns and more than 900 yards.
Pace's third win of 2018 marked the best offensive output for the Setters since 1987. The Blue and Gold defeated Stonehill College, 51-30, and recorded more than 450 yards of total offense for its second consecutive game that season. Quarterback
Carlton Aiken (Gibbstown, N.J./Paulsboro) threw for a career-high four touchdowns and 240 yards.
Coming off of its second overtime win of 2018 with a 14-7 triumph over Southern Connecticut State University, Pace continued rolling to defeat Merrimack College, 22-21, for its sixth win of 2018. The victory also marked the first time in program history that the Setters beat the Warriors.
With one game remaining on the schedule, Pace put a bow on the season with a commanding 33-10 road win against Saint Anselm College. Pace lost just one road game in 2018, falling to nationally ranked LIU Post.
Defensively, sophomore
Harrison Moran-Fernandez (Union City, N.J./Union City) recorded a team-high four interceptions while senior defensive lineman Kadeem Langhorne racked up a team-best 74 total tackles.
Classmate Jah'Sheem Martin also impressed on the D-Line as he was selected to Don Hansen Gazette's All-Super Region 1 Team after leading the Setters with 9.5 tackles for loss, to go along with five sacks, a pair of pass break-ups, an interception, and a blocked kick. The Blue and Gold held opposing teams to 10 points or less in four of their 10 games in 2018.