Pace Upset Opens Door for New No. 1 in Nike/USA Lacrosse D-II Women's Top 20

Now in her sixth season as head coach at Pace, Tricia Molfetta has built a consistent Top 20 program that routinely ranks among the better teams in the competitive NE10 conference. Last season, the Setters tied a school record with 14 wins, and they began this season tabbed third in the NE10’s preseason coaches’ poll, behind only powerhouse programs Adelphi and Le Moyne.

It may be that the Setters are aiming higher after posting a statement win Saturday.

Led by five goals from All-American midfielder Angelina Porcello, visiting Pace upset No.1 East Stroudsburg 16-6 while controlling most of the game. The Setters built an early lead, led by three at halftime, then dominated the second half to claim the victory. The win was the program’s first against a top five opponent since the 2018 season, Molfetta’s first at the helm.

The victory helped Pace jump five spots to No. 6 in this week’s Nike/USA Lacrosse Division II Women’s Top 20, the program’s highest ranking in Molfetta’s tenure. It also opened the door for East Stroudsburg’s PSAC rival, West Chester, to rise to No. 1 this week.

A strong core of experienced returnees has fueled Pace’s optimism for the 2023 campaign. In addition to Porcello, who led the team with 61 goals last year, the Setters offense includes graduate students Kayla Conway and Emma Rafferty and senior Jolie Urraro. All-American Alexandra Quinn anchors the defense, which recorded 13 caused turnovers against East Stroudsburg.

The road ahead doesn’t get any easier for Pace, which travels south for back-to-back games at No. 4 Florida Southern and No. 9 Tampa. The Setters are in the middle of a six-game run of road games to start the season before they begin the home slate with back-to-back games against conference heavyweights Adelphi and Le Moyne.

By the end of this month, it will be much clearer if Pace’s domination of East Stroudsburg was a precursor of things to come, or perhaps just a case of rising to the occasion against a favored opponent.

In addition to this week’s top 10 clash between Pace and Florida Southern, other games of note include No. 9 Tampa at No. 13 Wingate, No. 2 UIndy at No. 11 Grand Valley State, No. 8 Rollins against No. 17 Seton Hill and No. 3 Le Moyne at No. 18 Mercyhurst.

NIKE/USA LACROSSE
DIVISION II WOMEN’S TOP 20

Also considered (alphabetical order): Bloomsburg, Colorado Mesa, Lee, St. Anselm, St. Rose

Nike/US Lacrosse Rankings

Division I Men | Division I Women
Division II Men | Division II Women
Division III Men | Division III Women

HOT

Pace (+5)

A three-goal run to close the first quarter gave Pace a lead they would not relinquish the rest of the way in posting Saturday’s upset of East Stroudsburg. Reflecting their control of the contest, the Setters finished with a sizable 38-15 advantage in shots and 16-10 edge on draw controls. In addition to Angelina Porcello’s game-high five goals, Jolie Urraro added four and Sydney Juvelier finished with three.

UIndy (+3)

The defending national champions continue to roll on, capping a 2-0 week with a 12-11 neutral-site win over then-No. 9 Tampa. Goalie Audrey Moran matched her career-high with nine saves in that win, including her final stop in the closing seconds to preserve the one goal victory. UIndy puts its 23-game winning streak on the line this week when it visits No. 11 GVSU.

NOT

East Stroudsburg (-6)

The Warriors never seemed in sync in suffering their first loss of the year, finishing with six failed clears and 27 overall turnovers in their loss to Pace. The schedule provides ESU with a bit of a reprieve, with four straight games against unranked foes before a showdown at No. 1 West Chester in mid-March.

Tampa (-2)

Despite a fourth-quarter rally that narrowed a four-goal deficit to one, the Spartans had their season-opening five-game win streak snapped with Saturday’s loss to UIndy. The non-conference schedule continues with three more stiff challenges for Tampa, which visits No. 13 Wingate before returning home for games against No. 6 Pace and No. 14 Mercy.

IN

Maryville (No. 20)

Now in their fifth season, the Saints are busy making edits in the team’s record-book. Maryville improved to 4-0 with last week’s 20-8 win over McKendree, tying the program’s record for wins in a season. Individually, senior Sydney Tiemann set a new team record with eight goals in the victory, and has already broken the single-season record with 27 goals through four games.

OUT

Colorado Mesa (was No. 18)

The Mavs were the last team in our preseason ranking to begin their season, opening last Friday with a 13-8 home loss against No. 11 GVSU. Junior Kiley Davis led CMU with four goals and an assist in the loss. The Mavs have a chance to build some momentum with three more home games before a three-game road trip to Florida later this month.

PREVIOUS RANKINGS

• Preseason

• Week 1: Feb. 13, 2023

• Week 2: Feb. 20, 2023

• Week 3: Feb. 27, 2023