NCAA Semifinals: #6 Mocs Take on #3 Pace Friday

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The sixth-ranked, and second seed, Florida Southern College women's lacrosse team is set to take on third-ranked and third seed Pace University in the NCAA Division II Women's Lacrosse National Semifinals Friday, May 19 at 7:30 p.m. at Key Stadium at the University of Indianapolis.
 
Florida Southern (18-3) reaches the semifinals for the fourth time in program history where Pace (19-2) is looking for history making its first DII women's lacrosse championship appearance ever.
 
NCAA Semifinals Schedule
May 19 – 4:00 pm – (1) West Chester vs (4) Grand Valley State
May 19 – 7:30 pm – (2) Florida Southern vs (3) Pace
 
Watch Live - https://www.ncaa.com/liveschedule/2023/05/18
 
FOLLOW THE TOURNEY: NCAA lacrosse tourney hub | Bracket
 
The Road to Indy
Florida Southern went into NCAA postseason play as the no. 2 seed in the South where the Moccasins defeated Flagler (19-15) in the First Round before defeating top seeded No. 2 Tampa (15-9) in the Quarterfinals. Lizzy Lynch paced the Moccasins in the first two rounds with 13 points on seven goals and six assists to power the offensive charge and drive the Mocs to the Semifinals. She was tabbed as the IWLCA National Offensive Player of the Week.
 
Pace was tabbed the overall no. 1 seed in the East region beating New Haven (16-10) and Adelphi (14-5) to advance in the postseason. The Setters used a 6-0 first quarter to take the early lead, one Pace never relinquished.
 
The Mocs are not too far removed from a three-year run to the championship game, winning the 2016 title in Denver, Colo. before finishing as national runners-up in 2017 and 2018. Florida Southern is led by Sunshine State Conference Player of the Year and All-American Jackie Stoller who has a mark of 104 points this season, second most in a single season in program history, with 65 goals and 39 assists.
 
Stoller isn't alone in goals this season where six others have scored over 30 goals including Hailey Daleo, Madison Tare, Giana Murphy, Lizzy Lynch and Abby McFerren.
 
The Mocs have been red-hot as of late with Murphy leading the charge with eight goals in the past two games ahead of Lynch and Daleo each with seven. Florida Southern averages nearly 18 goals a game, sitting at 17.90 after posting 34 goals in the last two contests.
 
Defensively, Sydney O'Neill has been the starter in goal, and likely starter for Friday's game, where she earned the win over Tampa with 10 saves. In the Flagler game, O'Neill started but it was Rylie Rittberg who earned her ninth win of the year playing 33:15 with 12 stops in the game. The Mocs hold opponents to 12.05 per game and look to hold true against Pace.
 
The Setters' offense is charged with a group of five that have score at least 43 goals this year including Pace's top scorer Emma Rafferty with 78. Aleya Cooretjer is the current points leader with 110 on the season with 51 goals and 59 assists, going for six goals and three assists in the Setters' 16-10 win over New Haven and for two goals and three assists in the 14-5 dismantling of Adlephi.
 
Samantha Tanguay has done most of the work in cage this season for the Setters, posting wins in both tournament victories to sit at 17-1 on the season, the one loss to the Moccasins earlier this year.
 
Much like Florida Southern, Pace averages 18.10 goals per game, where the defense holds opponents to under 10 goals a game at 7.71.
 
Head-to-Head Meeting
The two teams met in Lakeland, Fla. back on March 12 where the then-no. 2 Florida Southern Moccasins defeated the then-no. 6 Pace Setters 14-12 after the Mocs held a four-goal lead with 1:18 to play. The Setters would score back-to-back goals in under 10 seconds apart down the stretch to make it the two-goal final.
 
In the first meeting between the two, Jackie Stoller proved to be a driving force with six points on five goals and one assist. Madison Tare posted five points with three goals and two assists while Lizzy Lynch had four points on one goal and three assists for the Mocs. The Setters saw four players all with three points, Aleya Corretjer, Kayla Conway, Angelina Porcello, and Katie Long. Long, who scored the 12^th goal for the Setters, and Porcello each had a hattrick in the contest while the other three had two goals each.
 
NCAA History
Florida Southern and West Chester, the no. 1 seed and no. 1 team overall, are the only two teams of the final four to have played for a national championship, where the Moccasins are 3-0 in semifinal games; 14-11 in overtime against Lindenwood in 2016, 13-12 over Lindenwood in 2017, and 20-14 over East Stroudsburg in 2018.
 
The Rams carry the most appearances and wins in the NCAA National Tournament, making their 15^th appearance overall with the Mocs in second at seven. West Chester owns a 20-13 record heading to Friday's contests as Florida Southern is 10-5 overall.
 
Aside from Florida Southern's 2016 title, West Chester too has hoisted the trophy in the championship game in 2002 and 2008 while falling in the finals on eight occasions.