ALBANY, N.Y. – The Pace University women's lacrosse team picked up the victory Saturday, March 18, as the Setters defeated the College of Saint Rose 20-16 to start off conference play with a win.
The teams played a back-and-forth opening 15 minutes, with Pace (4-1, 1-0 NE10) getting out to a 2-0 lead on goals by grad student midfielder
Emma Rafferty (Bay Shore, N.Y./Islip) and freshman defender
Katie Long (Camillus, N.Y./West Genesee).
After Saint Rose (4-2, 0-1 NE10) tied the game, the Setters scored three unanswered. Grad student midfielder
Aleya Corretjer (Thiells, N.Y./North Rockland) scored back-to-back goals, then junior midfielder
Angelina Porcello (Eastchester, N.Y./Eastchester) scored to put Pace ahead by three. However, two last-minute goals for the Golden Knights brought it to a 5-4 score after one.
Pace started out hot in the second, scoring the first five goals of the period. Rafferty scored two more, and senior attack
Jolie Urraro (Sayville, N.Y./Connetquot) netted two of her own. Corretjer's third of the day made it an 11-5 game, but Saint Rose was able to cut away at the lead.
Ashley Burns scored three of her six goals on the day in the second, and the home team was able to cut their deficit to three goals at the half. Corretjer and Rafferty each scored one more for Pace, giving the team a 12-9 lead after 30 minutes.
Despite an early goal by senior attack
Sydney Juvelier (Centereach, N.Y./Centereach), Saint Rose was able to pull within two at the 8:35 mark of the third. After Long scored her second, two Golden Knights goals in a span of 33 seconds made it a 14-13 game at the end of the third.
The Setters took control back in the fourth, scoring four straight goals to open the quarter. Grad student midfielder
Kayla Conway (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh) scored two goals, with Rafferty and Corretjer each adding one.
Conway's third gave Pace a 19-14 lead with 11 minutes remaining, and despite a pair of late goals by Saint Rose, the Setters got one more from Rafferty with four minutes left to take a 20-16 victory.
Rafferty led Pace on the day with six goals, while Corretjer had five goals and one assist. Conway scored three goals, and Juvelier and Porcello each had one goal and two assists.
Porcello and freshman midfielder
Mackenzie Carita (Medford, N.Y./Patchogue-Medford) tied for the team lead with three ground balls, and senior defender
Delilah Doyle (West Babylon, N.Y./West Babylon Senior) caused a team-high three turnovers.
Pace continues NE10 play Tuesday, March 21, when the Setters are on the road for a 4 p.m. road matchup with Southern Connecticut State University.
