Pace lacrosse makes history

Last season, Pace University Women’s Lacrosse made history when they won the national championship for the first time in the history of the program.

This year, it was another very successful season for the Pace Setters. The Setters went 21-1 and reached the second round of the NCAA postseason, falling to Adelphi.

Two seniors that just graduated are from the Moriches and Manorville area: goaltender Ashley Belfiore from Manorville and defenseman Alexandra Quinn from Eastport.

Both were members of the national championship team last spring. Belfiore played in 10 games this season and tallied 10 saves. On March 2, she played 25:53 in field time in an 18-10 win vs. Georgian Court. She made two saves in a win on Feb. 20 over Roberts Wesleyan and two saves in a victory over American International on March 13, playing 30 minutes in the contest.

Belfiore earned the win and made a season high four saves in an 18-3 win vs. Saint Rose, playing all 60 minutes for the Setters on April 20. Contributing between the pipes, Belfiore had a 4.96 goals against average and a .385 save percentage, totaling 195:44 of game time in her senior season.

In the championship season, her junior year Belfiore played 13 games, with a .391 save percentage, earned two victories between the pipes, had a 9.92 goals against average, and played a total of 235:57 her junior season.

In the historic postseason, Belfiore spent 9 minutes and 41 seconds tending the goalkeeping duties and made a save in the semifinals. Two days later, she protected the net for one minute and 57 seconds of game time during the NCAA Championship and made a save. On defense, Belfiore played and started 21 games for Pace scoring three goals, notching four assists, and summating 7 points in the 2024 spring campaign.

Quinn had a 100 percent shot percentage as she took three shots and converted all three for goals, had 40 ground balls, 86 draw controls, and created 43 turnovers on defense. Quinn’s season high in draw controls was seven, which happened on two occasions: in a 23-8 win vs. Franklin Piece on March 16 and in a 17-6 win at New Haven on March 27.

Quinn also had three games with six draw controls and one with five, in which all four games Pace ended up victorious. A couple more season highs came in a 12-11 double overtime win at Mercy on April 3, playing 67 minutes (season high) in the win over Mercy and causing five defensive turnovers (season high). In her junior year when the team made history, Quinn scored one goal and made three assists, and tallied 35 ground balls, summated 29 defensive turnovers, and quantified 118 draw controls.

Quinn added numerous awards her senior year to her trophy case. Quinn was named Defender of the Year, Senior All Star, First Team All-Region, First Team All-American, USA Lacrosse Magazine First Team All-American, Northeast 10 Defender of the Year, First Team All-Northeast 10, was a two-time Northeast 10 Defensive Player of the Week, and was named to the Northeast 10 Honor Roll.