GARDEN CITY, N.Y. – On Saturday, the #3 seed, Pace University Men's Lacrosse, saw its Northeast 10 Conference (NE10) Championship run come to a close, falling to #1 seed and top-ranked Adelphi University, 17-4, at Motamed Field. The Setters move to 12-5 overall after advancing to the program's first NE10 title game since 2003, facing an undefeated Adelphi squad that entered the contest ranked No. 1 in the nation.
The Panthers seized control early, scoring twice in the opening minute before
Will Danowski answered to cut the deficit to 2-1. The Panthers responded with a decisive run, scoring eight of the next nine goals to take a 10-1 lead by the end of the first quarter.
Pace continued to battle in the second, as
Jake Cenci found the back of the net early in the frame. However, Adelphi added three more goals to extend the lead to 13-2 at halftime.
The Blue and Gold showed fight in the second half, with Cenci adding his second goal of the day in the third quarter and Danowski netting another in the fourth. Pace generated 29 shots and forced 20 turnovers, continuing to compete against one of the top teams in the country despite the deficit.
Danowski and Cenci each finished with two goals to lead the offense, while
Nick Naccarato recorded an assist. Defensively, Pace collected 27 ground balls and went 16-of-20 on clears, with
Jack Kern,
Hunter Willcox, and
Jimmy Caputo all seeing time in goal.
Danowski and
Trevor Lamoureux were both recognized for their performances throughout the tournament, earning selection to the NE10 All-Championship Team.
The Setters path to the championship highlighted the growth of the program, earning wins over #6 seed Bentley University and #2 seed Saint Anselm College to reach the final and positioning themselves among the top teams in the region.
While the conference tournament has concluded, the season is not over for the Blue and Gold, as the squad now awaits its bid to the NCAA Tournament.
