PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – Senior Olivia Kirk made 16 saves, but the No. 19 Pace University offense proved to be too much for the LIU Post women's lacrosse team, as the Pioneers suffered their first loss of the season, 18-16 on the road against the Setters March 6.
 
Pace recorded a 41-30 advantage in shots, while also notching a 22-18 edge in ground balls and won 21 of the game's 36 draw controls to earn the win. The Pioneers notched an 86 percent clear percentage (12-14), but 18 turnovers proved to be the difference in Wednesday's contest.
 
Sophomore Alyssa Mallery netted six points behind four goals and two assists, while classmate Paige Sherlock added four goals as well. Junior Trish Brisotti found the back of the net three times and fellow junior Mackenzie Hitchcock tallied a team-best three helpers.
 
It was a back-and-forth first half, as Pace jumped out to a 2-0 advantage, but the Pioneers responded with two tallies in under two minutes to level the scoring just under 10 minutes in. LIU Post took its first lead of the day seven minutes later when sophomore Angela Deren scored her ninth goal of the season to put the Pioneers up 4-3. The see-saw action continued, however, as the Setters scored three unanswered, including two goals in 19 seconds to retake the lead. After trading goals, Mallery scored during the final minute to level the scoring as the teams headed into halftime deadlocked at 8-8.
 
Nine seconds was all the Green and Gold needed to take the lead in the second half, as Hitchcock scored off of the opening draw to give LIU Post a 9-8 edge, but Pace responded with the tying goal just 27 seconds later to erase the deficit. The Pioneers put together their best run of the afternoon just past the 10-minute mark of the second half, as Brisotti and sophomore Sara Stephens tallied goals eight seconds apart to spark a 4-0 run to take a 13-10 lead. Just as the Pioneers looked to be building momentum, the Setters responded with four unanswered to retake the lead once again, 14-13 midway through the half.
 
The Pioneers took their final lead of the afternoon with 12:06 remaining on freshman Jamie Alvino's fifth goal of the year, but Pace answered with three unanswered goals to go ahead 17-14. After an eight-minute scoring drought, the Pioneers found the back of the net to get within two, but Pace put things out of reach with a goal at the 2:14 mark to take a three-goal lead. Sherlock found the back of the net 22 seconds later, but Jillian Oross made two of her 12 saves during the final minute to keep the Pioneers at bay.
 
LIU Post returns to action on Saturday, March 10 when the team travels to Syracuse to battle No. 4/4 Le Moyne College in a battle of top-five teams. Game time is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. at Ted Grant Field.