BLOOMSBURG, PA. – Pace University and Bloomsburg University battled all the way to penalty strokes, but Pace would ultimately fall, 3-2 in penalty strokes, 2-0 in penalty strokes.
Pace returns home to Peter X. Finnerty Field on Sunday to host Frostburg State at noon.
Krista Dietz (Mahopac, N.Y./Mahopac) forced the pressure early on. Dietz got behind the defense and prepared to fire a shot on goal, but a Bloomsburg defender interfered which allowed Dietz a chance at a penalty stroke. Dietz beat the keeper to their right side to give the Setters an early lead. The goal is Dietz's second of the year.
Bloomsburg managed to get one by Pace's goalie,
Celeste Pagliaroli (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Lakeland High School) in the third quarter, who up until that point had stopped seven shots. Bella Cluip ripped a shot from straight away, to the same spot that Dietz had placed her penalty stroke, to tie the game up at 1-1.
Pace would provide its response immediately. Drawing yet another penalty stroke, this time following a deflection right in front of the net. This time,
Tavia Flecksteiner (Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty) would line up for the shot and converted for her fourth goal of the year to take a 2-1 lead. Flecksteiner has now scored in each of the Setters matches early in the 2023 campaign.
The scored was tied back up in the fourth off a goal from Bloomsburg's Emily Swineford. Neither team regained the lead in regulation as the sun set on the field as overtime commenced.
With just under a minute left in the first overtime period, Bloomsburg was staring down a great opportunity, but Pagliaroli charged the ball and made a fantastic diving play to prevent the Huskies from firing off a shot at all.
The same result held in the second overtime, leading to a penalty strokes. Pace took the first stroke but could not covert. Bloomsburg took advantage of the opportunity and converted to take a 1-0 lead following the first round of strokes. The Huskies' goalie came up with a second consecutive save but Pagliaroli held firm to keep the lead at 1-0 Bloomsburg. The team's traded stops on the third round and on the fourth round, Bloomsburg would convert seal the win.
