MANCHESTER, N.H. - Despite a valiant effort against the defending national champions, the nationally-ranked No. 23 Saint Anselm College women's lacrosse team fell by a final score of 9-6 on Wednesday evening against undefeated No. 1 Pace University. Senior
Isabella Stuzynski (Bedford, Mass.) recorded three goals in the game, while junior goaltender
Elizabeth Driscoll (Marblehead, Mass.) made 13 saves. The Hawks held a 6-5 advantage after three quarters before the Setters pulled away during the final period.
UP NEXT:
- Saint Anselm is back home to host Southern Connecticut State University for Senior Day on Saturday, April 27th at 2:00 p.m. from Grappone Stadium.
Score: No. 23 Saint Anselm 6, No. 1 Pace 9
Records: No. 23 Saint Anselm 9-6 (5-4 NE10), Pace 15-0 (9-0 NE10)
Location: Manchester, N.H. (Grappone Stadium)
Date: Wednesday, April 24, 2024
Attendance: 153
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Saint Anselm got out to a fast start. The Hawks forced a turnover around midfield and advanced a pass ahead to senior Jess Sullivan (Wrentham, Mass.). Sullivan ran it down the right side and found a wide open senior Maggie Fitzgerald (Holliston, Mass.), who scored the first goal of the game just 24 seconds in to give the Hawks the early lead.
- Pace tied things up at 1-1 midway through the quarter with a free-position goal by Nikki Mottes.
- With 6:30 left in the first, Saint Anselm was given a free-position chance of their own. Fitzgerald worked it over to Stuzynski who fired a shot into the top left corner and gave the Hawks back the lead, 2-1.
- A few minutes later, Pace was given consecutive free-position opportunities. The Setters misfired on the first and the second was saved by Driscoll.
- Pace eventually tied the score with under a minute to go in the first on a goal by Margaret Flocco, but Driscoll ended the period with a huge stop on a point-blank opportunity by Mackenzie Carita to keep it tied heading into the second.
- Driscoll made an additional save to open the second quarter, but the Setters took a 3-2 lead after a free-position goal by Angelina Porcello.
- Saint Anselm created two good scoring chances midway through the second, but both shots were turned aside by Pace goaltender Samantha Tanguay.
- The Setters added one more score before halftime on Flocco's second tally of the afternoon and led, 4-2, at the break. The two sides combined for 25 turnovers in a defensive-minded opening half.
- The Hawks struck first in the second half with a goal just 57 seconds into action. Sullivan drove past multiple defenders and ripped a left-handed shot that beat the goalie nearside to cut the deficit to just one goal.
- Saint Anselm tied the score just over 90 seconds later. Sullivan forced a turnover in the offensive zone and scooped up the ground ball before tossing it ahead to a wide open Stuzynski. Stuzynski had an immediate one-on-one breakaway with the goalie and found the back of the net to even the score at 4-4.
- Flocco gave Pace the lead back once again with eight minutes left in the third on her third score of the day off a feed from Maddie Schubert.
- At the 5:01 mark of the same period, Stuzynski potted her third goal of the game to secure the hat trick. The senior drove between two defenders and had her initial shot saved, but she scooped up the ground ball and her follow up attempt beat Tanguay to help the Hawks pull even, 5-5.
- Right after Saint Anselm tied the score, Driscoll came up with another stop on a Pace free-position chance. The junior also denied a close-range attempt from Schubert with just over a minute left in the third to keep the game deadlocked.
- The Hawks had one final offensive possession before the end of the quarter. Sullivan passed it into traffic in front of the Setters cage, but it was deflected and there was a scramble for the loose ball. A Pace defender tried to kick the ball back to her goalie, but it ended up crossing the goal line to give Saint Anselm a 6-5 lead going into the fourth.
- At the 10:26 mark of the fourth, Flocco set up Sydney Juvelier to tie the score for the fifth time of the game at 6-6.
- A few minutes later, Porcello poured in consecutive goals to give Pace the lead back, 8-6. Porcello added another, her fourth of the game, with two minutes to play and the Setters held on for the 9-6 victory.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Pace held a 34-15 edge in total shot attempts and a 22-13 lead in shots on goal.
- The Setters also held a 11-8 advantage in draw controls as well as a 14-13 lead in ground balls.
- Saint Anselm committed 22 turnovers in the game, 11 of which were caused by the Pace defense. The Setters committed 14 turnovers in the game with the Hawks defense causing 10 of those giveaways.
- Pace had four free-position shots in the game while Saint Anselm did not have any.
- Stuzynski led the Hawks with three goals while Sullivan added two goals and two assists. Senior Erin Doyle (Weymouth, Mass.) had four draw controls, three ground balls, and two caused turnovers in the game for Saint Anselm.
- Flocco and Porcello combined for seven of Pace's nine goals.
- Driscoll had a busy day in net and made 13 saves for the Hawks. Tanguay had seven stops in goal for the Setters.
- This marked the ninth game all-time between these two programs. Saint Anselm falls to 1-8 against Pace.
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