By Julian Markese
Sports Editor
The lacrosse team’s six game win streak came to an end in Pleasantville, New York on Saturday, April 4 against Pace University. With the loss, the team is 9-2 overall and 3-1 in the conference.
A blitzing seven-goal opening quarter from Pace left the Owls in an insurmountable hole. The final score was 16-8.
“In the first quarter, they completely destroyed us,” Head Coach Kevin Siedlecki said. “The rest of the game was a very good game.”
It only took the Setters 30 seconds to score. By the time the first quarter was halfway over, Pace had already netted six goals.
The Setters, who won the 2023 National Championship, are a notoriously tough team. The Owls have never beaten Pace in lacrosse.
Siedlecki said the team spent much of their time in practice last week trying to replicate Pace’s swarming defense.
“Trying to replicate what they do defensively is really hard. They’re a gritty team. They go after you. They make plays, knock balls down and pick up ground balls,” Siedlecki said.
Despite the score, the performance was encouraging. Siedlecki said he sees improvement over last year’s game against Pace.
Goalkeeper Caelan Connors, a senior, was a big part of slowing the Setters down. She faced a season-high 41 shots, saving 16, including several from point blank range.
On the back of Connors’ effort, the team stayed competitive for the next three quarters.
The game was its closest in the second quarter when midfielder Anna Meserve, a junior, cut the lead to three.
Meserve finished with two goals on three shots taken. She battled on the draw all day while Pace’s quick midfielders made every loose ball a scrap.
“They liked ground balls more than we did. They had a lot more shots. They had the ball longer,” Siedlecki said.
But the Owls never quit. Midfielders Allie Welder, a junior, and Breya Montague, a sophomore, led the team in ground balls with three apiece.
Midfielder Bailey McDermott, a senior, hustled particularly hard on the day, hawking down Pace midfielders on a few potential fast breaks.
The Owls ceded much of the possession to Pace but still showed some lethality when the ball reached their attackers.
Attacker Macy Vail, a senior, scored again. She has scored in 30 consecutive games. The streak reaches all the way back to when Vail was playing for Akron University as a sophomore. She has scored in every game she has played for the Owls.
Midfielder Rebecca Sibley, a sophomore, scored a solo goal. Siedlecki said he hopes it can be a catalyst for her going forward.
“Becky Sibley is playing with so much confidence,” Siedlecki said. “When she scored, she had this look on her face like ‘Oh my god, I did it!’ If she can bring that confidence to the rest of her career, she can be a huge difference maker for us.”
The team is still on track for their best season. Despite the score, and excluding the first quarter, the Owls did not look outclassed by the team who won a National Championship only two years ago.
“We need to recognize that we played really well and go in with some momentum for the rest of the season,” Siedlecki said.
With five games remaining, the team is on track to meet the expectations set for the team by Siedlecki in the beginning of the season.
“We’re talking about playing at a championship level,” Siedlecki said. “Our goal at the beginning of the season was to be a top four seed in the NE10, host a playoff game and make the NCAAs. We have to be 3-2 in the next five to do that.”
Contributions in this uncharted territory must come from all over the field, Siedlecki said.
The Owls’ next game is against American International College at home on Wednesday, April 8.
“We are a team. We are not a collection of individuals. So, if you ask me who I’m counting on, I don’t know,” Siedlecki said.
