RINDGE, N.H. – On Tuesday, Pace University Men's Lacrosse was fueled by standout performances from
Matt Baldino and
Will Danowski, who combined for eight goals and four assists in a 13–6 road victory over Franklin Pierce University at Sodexo Field. The duo powered the Blue and Gold from the opening quarter, helping Pace control the game throughout and improve to 6–1 overall and 2–0 in the Northeast 10 Conference.
Pace wasted no time setting the tone in the first quarter.
Colin Reese opened the scoring before
Jake Cenci added another to make it 2–0. Baldino then found the back of the net twice, including a man-up goal, as the Setters built a 4–0 advantage before Franklin Pierce got on the board late in the quarter to make it 4–1.
The Blue and Gold extended their lead in the second quarter behind a dominant offensive stretch. Baldino struck again early before Danowski scored twice, including another man-up tally, pushing the lead to 7–2. Baldino capped the half with his fourth goal of the game, giving Pace an 8–2 advantage at the break.
Franklin Pierce attempted to close the gap in the third quarter, cutting the deficit to 8–3 early, but Pace responded quickly.
Declan Landers scored off a Baldino assist before
Shae Linegar added another to extend the lead to 10–3. The Ravens added a late goal, but the Setters remained firmly in control heading into the final quarter at 10–4.
In the fourth, Pace continued to apply pressure. Baldino netted his fifth goal of the game, while Danowski added his third to stretch the lead to 12–4.
Ian Wick capped the scoring for the Blue and Gold with a goal midway through the quarter as Pace closed out the 13–6 victory.
Danowski finished with three goals and two assists, while Baldino added five goals and two assists as Pace saw scoring from multiple contributors in a strong offensive effort.
Defensively, Pace limited Franklin Pierce to just six goals while controlling possession throughout the game, finishing a perfect 19-for-19 on clears and holding a 27–22 edge in ground balls.
Men's Lacrosse returns home on Saturday, hosting an out-of-conference match-up against No. 5 Seton Hill University (Pa.) set for 12:00 p.m.
