DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. – On Thursday afternoon, No. 15 Pace University Women's Lacrosse earned an 8-6 victory over No 17. Mercy University, building an early advantage and holding off a late push to secure the road win. The Setters controlled the opening half and capitalized on timely scoring throughout, improving to 7-4 overall and 4-1 in the Northeast 10 Conference (NE10).

The Blue and Gold set the tone early, opening the scoring just over 30 seconds into the contest on a goal from Jamie Petrullo. Pace continued to apply pressure, as Mackenzie Carita and Lisa Heffernan found the back of the net to extend the lead to 3-0 late in the first quarter.

Mercy responded with a free-position goal to cut the deficit to 3-1, but the Setters answered in the second quarter. Carita and Heffernan each scored on free-position opportunities, pushing the lead to 5-1 before Maddie Schubert added another to make it 6-2 heading into halftime.

The Setters continued to build momentum early in the third quarter, as Schubert struck again to extend the lead to 7-2. Mercy answered with a goal midway through the period, but Pace maintained control and carried a five-goal advantage into the final quarter.

The Mavericks made a late push in the fourth, scoring three times to cut the deficit to 7-5. Jamie Petrullo delivered a key insurance goal with just over 10 minutes remaining to push the lead back to 8-5 and help the Setters regain control.

Mercy added one final goal in the closing minutes, but Pace held firm defensively to secure the 8-6 victory. Camryn Smith anchored the defense with 11 saves, helping the Setters withstand 27 shots from the Mavericks.

Pace saw balanced scoring across the lineup, with Petrullo, Heffernan, Schubert, and Carita each recording two goals. Carita and Annie Sheehan each added two assists, while the Setters controlled possession with 21 ground balls and 19 successful clears.

The Setters continue NE10 play this weekend at home against Southern Connecticut State University at 11am.