SPARKILL, N.Y. – Feline Rook needed less than seven minutes to record a hat trick as Pace University Field Hockey delivered another commanding performance Sunday afternoon, defeating St. Thomas Aquinas College, 9-0, at Spartan Field. With nine goals in the victory, the Setters matched the single-game program record set last season while improving to 2-0 with their second straight shutout.
Rook opened the scoring just 1:53 into the contest off an assist from Grace Francis before striking again at 5:27. The midfielder completed her hat trick only 57 seconds later, finishing a feed from Abby Spaulding at the 6:24 mark to give Pace an early three-goal cushion. Mia Gaetani added the fourth goal at 13:06 as the Blue and Gold took complete control in the opening quarter.
The pressure continued in the second when Ava Gile found the cage at 17:51, sending the Setters into halftime with a five-goal advantage. Pace held STAC without a shot or penalty corner throughout the opening 30 minutes while producing 16 shots and 12 corners of its own.
Three more goals followed in the third quarter. Francis scored off a Josefina Villa Alonso assist at 34:31 before Gile registered her second of the afternoon at 39:55 off a feed from Gaetani. Stella Musso pushed the advantage to eight at 43:13, converting an assist from Elsa Nelken.
With the program record within reach, Hayley Allwood delivered the ninth and final goal at 56:23 off an assist from Gile, allowing the Setters to match the program's single-game scoring mark established during the 2025 season. Seven different players scored for Pace, led by Rook's three-goal performance and Gile's two goals and one assist. Francis and Gaetani each contributed a goal and an assist.
The Setters dominated the final statistics, outshooting STAC 31-0 and holding a 23-0 advantage in penalty corners. Twenty-eight Pace attempts were on target, while Tara Dusée and Caitlyn Zabko combined for the shutout without facing a shot.
The clean sheet also marked just the second time in program history that Pace has opened a season with back-to-back shutouts and the first since 2021. Through two games, the Setters have outscored their opponents 16-0, setting a new program record for goals through the first two contests of a season after surpassing the previous mark of 11 established by the 2017 team.
Field Hockey returns to action Wednesday, Sept. 9, traveling to Millersville, PA, for a 6:00 p.m. match-up against Millersville University.
