PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – Pace University football kicked off a new era on Saturday night, playing its first game under head coach Chad Walker against Saint Anselm College. Despite falling 34-10 to the Hawks, the Setters showed plenty of promise with big plays on both sides of the ball at Northwell Stadium.

The home crowd was on its feet right away as senior Jhamier Howard returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown just 14 seconds into the 2025 campaign.

After the Hawks evened the score later in the first quarter, the Setters struck again late in the second. Quarterback Ah-Shaun Davis connected on a 41-yard pass to Kyler Robinson to help set up a scoring drive. The possession was capped by a 30-yard field goal from Marc Malandruccolo, putting Pace back on top, 10-7, with under two minutes left in the half.

Saint Anselm gained momentum coming out of the break, using long drives and a balanced attack to pull away. The Hawks scored once late in the third quarter and added two more touchdowns in the fourth to build their lead. Despite strong individual efforts from the Setter defense, Pace was unable to regain the offensive rhythm it showed in the first half. The Blue and Gold's second-half woes led to a 34-10 loss to open up their year.

While the Hawks took control after halftime, Pace's defense made several standout plays throughout the evening. Ali Seidou led all players with 11 tackles, while Dorcelly and Osterhout each recorded sacks. Hunter Burgos also blocked an extra point attempt in the second half as part of a defensive effort that produced nine tackles for loss.

On offense, Davis finished with 78 passing yards, while freshman quarterback Ethan Coady added 28 passing yards and 26 rushing yards in his debut. Elizjah Lewis caught a team-high six passes, and Gary Wilkins added three receptions for 30 yards.

The Setters (0-1, 0-1 NE10) will be back in action next Thursday when they travel to East Stroudsburg University for a 7:05 p.m. kickoff.