#4 Pace Outlasts #3 Field Hockey in Clash of NE10 Titans

Links: Box Score

PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y.  – Junior goalkeeper Katharina Ohmen posted nine saves and senior Mary McNeil set a new career high with her 15^th goal of the season, but the No. 3 Merrimack College field hockey program lost a 2-1 decision to No. 4 Pace University on Saturday afternoon in Pleasantville, N.Y.

The Setters and Warriors entered the afternoon as the last two remaining undefeated teams in the Northeast-10 Conference, and the loss left Merrimack needing to win on Tuesday against Saint Anselm to lock up the second seed in the NE10 Championship, which begins on Tuesday, Nov. 13. Both teams also played Saturday as the top-two ranked teams in the region, per the first release of the NCAA Division II East Regional Poll. 

The Basics
Score: #4 Pace 2, #3 Merrimack 1
Records: #3 Merrimack (14-2, 10-1 NE10) | #4 Pace (16-1, 12-0 NE10)
Location: Pleasantville, N.Y. | Finnerty Field

Rapid Recap

• The first 13 minutes went by without much action. Over a two-minute span, junior Alex Mondini inserted three straight corners, but Merrimack was unable to score on the opportunities
• In the 14^th minute, however, the program's scored within a minute of each other. Pace's leading scorer Halley Rose put the Setters up, 1-0, only to see McNeil match her counterpart with a goal at the 14:51 mark to tie the game
• Less than 10 minutes later, Pace would pull ahead on a goal by Sarah Bard, which proved to be the game-winner
• Ohmen stopped a penalty stroke – her second save in as many games on strokes – and totaled five second-half saves to keep the Warriors within one, but Merrimack was not able to tie the game and force overtime

Top Performers

• McNeil eclipsed her 14-goal total as a freshman to establish a new career best. In single-season lore, the Canton, Mass. native moved into sixth in program history in points (42), and ranks in a tie for seventh in goals scored
• Ohmen's nine saves registered as her third most overall this season, and the junior's second-highest output over her last nine contests

Notes and Notables

• The Warriors' second longest winning streak in program history (13 games) came to an end on Saturday. Merrimack's 17-game run in 2011 remains as the longest in school lore
• Merrimack still sits in second place in the NE10 after Saturday's results, and will clinch the second seed in the NE10 Championship with a win on Tuesday against Saint Anselm
• The Setters outshot the Warriors, 13-3, with all three of Merrimack's attempts coming from McNeil
• Saturday's matchup featured the conference's top offense (Merrimack) against the league's top defense (Pace)

Up Next
On Tuesday, Merrimack plays Saint Anselm at 7 p.m. at Duane Stadium. Seniors Samantha Bartush, McNeil and Delaney Yule will be honored as part of the Senior Night celebration.