PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – On Saturday, No. 11 Pace University Men's Lacrosse overcame an early three-goal deficit and used a strong second-half effort to defeat No. 5 Seton Hill University, 12–10, at Northwell Stadium. The Blue and Gold responded with consistent scoring runs across the final three quarters to secure the win, improving to 7–1 overall and 2–0 in the Northeast 10 Conference.
The Griffins jumped out to a fast start in the opening quarter, scoring the first three goals to take a 3–0 lead. The Griffins extended the advantage to 4–1 before the Setters began to settle in.
Trevor Lamoureux got Pace on the board, and
Matt Baldino followed with a goal late in the quarter to cut the deficit to 4–2 after one.
The Blue and Gold found their rhythm in the second quarter.
Will Danowski converted on a man-up opportunity before
Declan Landers scored twice during a key run that gave Pace its first lead at 6–5. Danowski added another goal to tie the game earlier in the quarter, and despite a late Seton Hill tally, the teams went into halftime even at 6–6.
In the third quarter, the back-and-forth battle continued. After Seton Hill briefly moved ahead 7–6,
Jake Cenci responded with a goal before Danowski added his third of the game to give the Setters an 8–7 edge heading into the final frame.
Pace took control in the fourth quarter with a decisive scoring run. Baldino sparked the offense with a go-ahead goal to make it 9–8, before Cenci scored back-to-back goals to extend the lead to 11–8. After the Griffins trimmed the deficit, Baldino added his third goal of the game off an assist from Landers to push the advantage to 12–8. The Griffins scored twice late, but the Blue and Gold held firm to close out the 12–10 victory.
Cenci, Baldino, and Danowski each finished with three goals, while Landers added two goals and an assist to lead a balanced offensive effort.
Zach Goetze recorded two assists, and Pace totaled 48 ground balls while limiting turnovers throughout the contest.
Defensively, the Blue and Gold came up with key stops in the second half, with
Hunter Willcox making 14 saves to anchor the win.
Men's Lacrosse returns to action on Saturday, March 28, traveling to face Saint Michael's College at 11:00 a.m. as Northeast 10 play continues.
