PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – The No. 3 ranked Pace University women's lacrosse team won its first ever NCAA Tournament game, defeating the No. 18 University of New Haven Chargers 16-10 Friday, May 12 at Pace Stadium.
The Setters (18-2, 12-0 NE10) got off to a slow start, as the Chargers (11-8, 8-4 NE10) jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first quarter. Marielle Colalillo scored in the first minute for New Haven, then Raegan Bailey scored back-to-back goals for the visitors. Just 56 seconds after her second goal, Cameryn Antler scored to extend the lead to four. Pace got on the board shortly after, as grad student midfielder Kayla Conway (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh) put one in for the Setters to cut the lead to 4-1 at the end of the first.
Conway's goal started a dominant stretch for Pace, as the home team went on to score 11 straight goals in a span that lasted over two quarters. Senior attack Sydney Juvelier (Centereach, N.Y./Centereach) scored one for Pace, then junior midfielder Angelina Porcello (Eastchester, N.Y./Eastchester) put in a pair. Grad student midfielder Aleya Corretjer (Thiells, N.Y./North Rockland), who led the Setters with six goals and three assists on the day, scored her first of the day with 7:40 to go in the second to give Pace its first lead at 5-4. Sophomore attack Nikki Mottes (West Islip, N.Y./West Islip) and grad student midfielder Emma Rafferty (Bay Shore, N.Y./Islip) scored 39 seconds apart for the home team, then Corretjer caught fire. The grad student scored three straight goals in a span of 2:55, putting the Setters ahead 10-4 at the half.
Rafferty started the third with her second goal of the day before Savannah Ernst scored for the Chargers to break their scoring skid with 7:32 remaining in the third. Corretjer then found the back of the net two more times to make it a 13-5 game, followed by Bailey's second of the day. Rafferty and Mottes scored two more before Annie Acquavita scored in the last minute to narrow Pace's lead to 15-7 heading to the fourth.
Senior attack Katie Smaldone (Sussex, N.J./Vernon Township) scored for the Setters early in the fourth, and despite three fourth-quarter goals for the Chargers, Pace was able to take a 16-10 victory to advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Corretjer had six goals and three assists, while Rafferty scored three times. Porcello had two goals and one assist for Pace as well.
Up Next
The Setters advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, where they will play the winner of Le Moyne College and Adelphi University Sunday, May 14 at 12:00 p.m.
