PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – A relentless afternoon in the attacking circle produced five goals from three different scorers Tuesday as the Setters controlled Southern Connecticut State University, 5-2, at Peter X. Finnerty Field. Grace Francis and Stella Musso each found the cage twice, Ava Gile added a goal and Feline Rook handed out two assists as Pace University Field Hockey generated 28 shots and 20 penalty corners. The victory improved Pace to 8-3 overall and 1-1 in Northeast 10 Conference play.
Francis started the scoring at 7:23, finishing a feed from Rook to put the Setters ahead midway through the opening quarter. The pressure continued into the second, when Gile doubled the advantage with an unassisted goal at 18:35.
Pace carried the 2-0 lead into halftime before Francis struck again just 44 seconds into the third quarter. Her second goal of the afternoon pushed the margin to three and gave the Setters control coming out of the break.
Southern Connecticut State answered at 33:40, but the Blue and Gold responded by spending much of the remainder of the third quarter on the attack. Pace earned 11 penalty corners and fired 15 shots in the period alone, repeatedly forcing the visitors to defend their cage.
That sustained pressure paid off again at 43:09. Rook set up Musso for her first goal of the afternoon, restoring a three-goal advantage at 4-1.
After the Owls pulled one back early in the fourth, Musso supplied the final answer. The freshman scored again with 1:28 remaining to complete her two-goal performance and put the finishing touch on the 5-2 victory.
Francis led the attack with eight shots, placing seven on goal, while Rook produced six attempts, four on target, to go along with her two assists. Musso was perfect with all four of her shots reaching the cage and finished with two goals. Anne Kopec added five shots as the Setters placed 21 of their 28 attempts on goal.
Tara Dusée made two saves while allowing one goal across 50:22 in the cage before Caitlyn Zabko handled the final 9:38.
The Setters remain home Saturday, Oct. 10, when they welcome No. 10 Assumption University to Peter X. Finnerty Field for a 12:00 p.m. Northeast 10 Conference matchup.
