PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. - The Saint Michael's College men's lacrosse team stood tied with fifth-ranked Pace University into the early stages of the second half before losing a 13-8 decision on Saturday during Northeast-10 Conference play in Pace Stadium. The Purple Knights received votes toward this week's New England Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (NEILA) poll while capping a run of four contests in an eight-day stretch against squads either nationally ranked or receiving votes. The Setters' national ranking is according to US Lacrosse Magazine.

RECORDS

• Saint Michael's (3-3, 0-2 NE10), Pace (6-0, 2-0 NE10)

SAINT MICHAEL'S LEADERS

• Junior Ralph Grillone III (Brockton, Mass./Cardinal Spellman), 3 goals, 2 assists
• Graduate student Brian Loughlin (Kingston, N.Y./Kingston), 2 goals, 4 ground balls
• Senior Harry Colyer (Stowe, Vt./Stowe), 1 goal, 1 assist
• Senior Matt Cotter (Acton, Mass./Acton-Boxboro Regional), 1 assist, 6 ground balls, 2 caused turnovers
• Senior David Malota (Warwick, N.Y./Warwick Valley), 1 goal
• First-year Kyle Hirshom (Walpole, Mass./Walpole), 1 goal
• Sophomore Dominic Joy (Scarborough, Maine/Scarborough), 13 saves, 4 ground balls
• Junior Justin Richmond (Linganore, Md./New Market), 4 ground balls, 14-for-20 faceoffs
• Junior Aidan Maron (Sudbury, Mass./Lincoln-Sudbury Regional), 5 ground balls
• Senior Brendan Morris (Hingham, Mass./Hingham), 3 caused turnovers, 2 ground balls
• Sophomore Patrick Murphy (Northboro, Mass./Saint John's), 3 caused turnovers

OPPONENT LEADERS

• Senior Daniel Keenan, 4 goals, 1 assist
• Graduate student Connor Vercruysse, 3 goals, 1 assist
• Senior Bradley Paterson, 1 goal, 3 assists, 7 ground balls
• Redshirt senior Wyatt Barfoot, 2 goals, 1 assist
• Sophomore Patrick Mulcahy, 6 ground balls, 3 caused turnovers
• First-year Louis Ragusa, 12 saves

GAME FACTS

• Saint Michael's is receiving votes toward this week's New England Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (NEILA) poll.
• The Setters are fifth in this week's US Lacrosse Magazine national poll.
• This was the fourth game in eight days that the Purple Knights faced opponents that are nationally ranked or receiving votes.
• While each of the Purple and Gold's losses has come against nationally-ranked foes, those three losses all were by five goals or fewer.
• Loughlin moved into a tie with Brandon Kobelt '06 for sixth in program history in career points (143), passing Jonathan Curley '02 (142).
• Both teams picked up 36 ground balls, while Saint Michael's committed 21 turnovers to Pace's 18.
• The Purple Knights were 16-for-24 on faceoffs while going 19-of-21 on clears, forcing the Setters into a 21-for-27 showing.

THE ACTION

• Grillone scored the game's first two goals, with Colyer assisting the second, before feeding Loughlin at 3:59 of the first period to make it 3-1, countering a Paterson tally.
• Vercruysse netted a man-up marker at 2:24 and Keenan forced the first of three first-half ties 1:10 later.
• Barfoot put the Setters in front, 4-3, at 8:19 of the second before Malota countered 1:06 after that.
• Keenan again gave the host an edge with 2:04 left, but Grillone tied the game 56 seconds afterwards thanks to a Cotter helper, and the teams headed into halftime tied at five.
• Pace began the second half with four straight goals in a 6:17 span, with Barfoot's man-up tally at 13:39 giving the Setters the lead for good. Vercruysse notched a goal and an assist in the pivotal stretch.
• Loughlin and Colyer wrapped goals around senior Matthew Simone's marker to make it 10-7 by 1:04, with Grillone passing to Loughlin.
• The hosts opened the fourth quarter with three straight goals to pull away, as Keenan scored the final two.
• Hirshom broke Pace's scoring the run at 3:22 off of sophomore Jon Lockwood's (Norwell, Mass./Norwell) pass for the final goal.

NEXT SAINT MICHAEL'S GAME

• Wednesday at Franklin Pierce University, 3:30 p.m.