PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – In its first opportunity to compete for a conference championship in program history, Pace University Football came up just short against Assumption University, falling 20-17 on Saturday afternoon at Northwell Stadium. The Setters concluded their 2026 campaign with a 6-4 overall record and a 5-2 mark in Northeast 10 Conference play.
The Blue and Gold wasted little time getting on the scoreboard, marching 59 yards on nine plays during their opening possession. Quarterback Tray Mauney connected with Kyler Robinson for a 33-yard touchdown, giving Pace an early 7-0 advantage.
The Setters defense held Assumption scoreless throughout the opening quarter, recording two sacks on the Greyhounds first possession to force a punt.
Assumption cut into the deficit midway through the second quarter with a 23-yard field goal, trimming the lead to 7-3. The Greyhounds threatened again late in the half, but the Pace defense came up with a fourth-down stop inside the red zone to preserve the four-point advantage heading into halftime.
The Setters opened the second half with a momentum-changing play as Travis Osterhout recovered a fumble on the opening kickoff, setting up the offense deep in Assumption territory.
Pace capitalized on the turnover with a 27-yard field goal from Marc Malandruccolo, extending its lead to 10-3.
The Blue and Gold struck again on Assumption's ensuing possession when Jayson Chavous intercepted a quick shovel pass and returned it 60 yards for a touchdown. The defensive score pushed the Setters' advantage to 17-3 with 8:28 remaining in the third quarter.
However, the Greyhounds answered immediately with a 59-yard touchdown run to cut the deficit to seven. Assumption then recovered a Pace fumble on the following possession and scored on a 13-yard rushing touchdown to even the contest at 17-17 with 5:35 remaining in the third.
The Greyhounds carried that momentum into the fourth quarter, connecting on a 21-yard field goal just three seconds into the period to take their first lead of the afternoon, 20-17.
Pace looked to respond midway through the fourth, advancing into Assumption territory before a 45-yard field goal attempt was blocked.
The Setters received one final opportunity with 4:41 remaining, beginning at their own 16-yard line. Mauney connected with Ethan Lopez for 22 yards before finding Jhamier Howard and Gary Wilkins for consecutive first downs.
A 27-yard completion to Robinson moved the Blue and Gold to the Assumption 13-yard line with under two minutes remaining. However, an interception in the end zone with less than a minute left ended the comeback attempt, allowing the Greyhounds to secure the conference championship.
Mauney finished 13-of-24 passing for 170 yards and a touchdown, while Robinson led the receiving corps with three catches for 75 yards and a score. Howard added three receptions for 37 yards, while Lopez contributed 29 receiving yards.
Defensively, Osterhout led the Setters with 10 tackles and a fumble recovery, followed by Suliman Pitts with nine tackles and Nathen Choute with eight. Andy Bailon recorded six tackles, while Choute, Bailon and Sven Chuppa each registered a sack.
Chavous finished with a 60-yard interception return for a touchdown, while Decker McNally averaged 46.2 yards across four punts, including a 69-yard effort.
Pace finished with 214 yards of total offense and held Assumption to just 27 passing yards. The Setters controlled possession for 30:46 but were limited to 44 rushing yards as the Greyhounds totaled 295 yards on the ground.
The loss concludes a historic 2026 season for the Setters, who finished with six victories after going winless in 2025. The six-win improvement marked a significant turnaround for the program, highlighted by its first opportunity to compete for an NE10 championship in program history.
