The nationally ranked No. 21 University of New Haven women's lacrosse team delivered a statement win on the road Thursday night, defeating No. 7 Pace University, 12-9, in a pivotal NE10 conference showdown at Northwell Stadium in Pleasantville, NY. With the victory, the Chargers handed the Setters their first conference loss of the season and improved to a perfect 8-0 in NE10 play.
 
The Setters struck first at the 12:54 mark of the first quarter, but the Chargers quickly responded just 30 seconds later with a goal from Lindsey Belmonte (Yaphank, N.Y., Bellport). Pace led the way 3-2 into the second quarter, where both teams traded goals in a tightly contested battle. At the half, the Setters held a slim 7-5 lead.
 
Coming out of the break, New Haven completely shut down the Pace offense, holding the Setters scoreless in the third quarter while landing three crucial goals from Lucy Shafer (Haymarket, Va., Battfield), Belmonte, and Gianna Caprioli (Clinton Corners, N.Y., Franklin Delano Roosevelt, ) to take the lead. The Chargers outscored Pace 4-2 in the fourth quarter, securing the 12-9 victory and sealing another key conference win.
 
The Chargers' defense was locked in from start to finish, holding Pace to single-digit scoring and stepping up in key moments. Senior goalkeeper Madeline Sage (Manchester, N.H., Goffstown High School) was a force between the pipes, recording 7 saves and reaching a major milestone with 100 saves on the season. The defensive unit also caused 9 turnovers and collected 17 groundballs, with key contributions from Katie Schenk (Southbury, Conn., Pomperaug, Endicott), Justine Doyle (Derry, N.H., Pinkerton Academy), and Caprioli.
 
New Haven controlled the tempo early and often, dominating the draw circle 14-10, led by a standout performance from Helena Dunwoody (East Greenwich, R.I., East Greenwich), who grabbed 7 draw controls. Schenk added 5, while Summer Castiglione (Brick, N.J., Brick Memorial) contributed 2.
 
Offensively, the Chargers were led by the dynamic duo of Caprioli and Belmonte, who each tallied 4 goals. Caitlin Seleny (Derry, N.H., Pinkerton) orchestrated the attack with 4 assists, while Schenk added 1 goal and 2 assists. Dunwoody and Castiglione each chipped in with 1 goal and 1 assist, and Shafer rounded out the scoring with a goal of her own.
 
The Chargers now turn their attention to another critical road matchup, traveling to face Adelphi on Wednesday, April 16 at 5:00 PM, with hopes of extending their conference win streak.