ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The second-ranked Florida Southern College Moccasins will take on No. 14 Pace University for the NCAA Division II Women's Lacrosse Semifinal game on Thursday as the program's fifth appearance in the Final Four.
 
NCAA Semifinal
Opponent: No. 14 / four-seed Pace University
Location: Rochester, New York | Judson Stadium | Hosted by Rochester Institute of Technology and Visit Rochester
Date: Thursday, May 21, 2026 | 4:30 p.m.
Tournament Page: https://ritathletics.com/sports/2026/4/27/ncaa-wlax-2026.aspx
 
No. 2/2 | One-Seed Florida Southern College Moccasins
The Mocs enter the national semifinal with an impressive 19-1 overall record, the first 19+ win season since 2018. The road to Rochester has been eventful for Florida Southern, hosting the opening stages and quarterfinals at Lake Myrtle Sports Complex. The second-round matchup for FSC was against the University of Tampa, with FSC winning in overtime to improve to 3-0 against UTampa in 2026. The quarterfinals game last week featured No. 1 Flagler against No. 2 Florida Southern, with the Mocs again prevailing with a commanding 14-9 victory.
 
The accolades for a stellar 2026 season have shone for the Moccasins, featuring nine All-Sunshine State Conference selections, the SSC Coach of the Year, and both the regular-season and tournament conference titles. Six Mocs were named to the IWLCA All-South Region Team, with Jenna Vetter, Audrey Cannelli, and Charlie Laye selected to the USA Lacrosse Magazine All-America teams. Announced earlier today were five selected to the IWLCA All-America teams, including Laye, Brayden Cannelli, A. Cannelli, Kolby Cohen, and Vetter.
 
Vetter has been the dominant force for the Mocs' offense all season long, leading in points and goals with 73 and 62, respectively. Grace Curtin has been finding her stride in postseason play, with three goals in the second round game against Tampa, and a standout performance by Louise Aloi in the win over Flagler, matching Vetter's four goals, and leading the squad with six points. Eight Mocs have double-digit caused turnovers, with A. Cannelli leading the way with 43. As a team, the Mocs out-score their opponents 257-163 and a .732 shots on goal percentage. FSC nearly doubles its opponents in total shots per game at 30.6. Draw controls continue to be a strong part of Florida Southern's game, with nearly 300 in the 20 games played.
 
In goal, Annesley Flint has continued to make a big impact for the team, with 11 starts this year. She is second in the nation for goals-against average with a 9.61. Rebekah Bargeron handled the second half of the quarterfinal game to keep the Saints at bay and secure a team win, keeping an undefeated 11-0 record in goal.
 
No. 14/12 | Four-Seed Pace University Setters
Pace enters the match-up at 16-5 overall after defeating Adelphi University, 16-12, in the NCAA Quarterfinals in Garden City, N.Y. The victory sent the Setters back to the national semifinals for the second time in program history and continued a postseason run that also included a 13-12 NCAA second-round win over Mercy University at Northwell Stadium.
 
The Setters have paired a high-powered offense with a strong defensive identity throughout the spring. Pace has outscored opponents 313-180 through 21 games, averaging 14.9 goals per game while holding opponents to 8.57 goals per contest. They have also controlled possession with a 341-191 edge in draw controls while adding 411 ground balls, 218 caused turnovers, and an .878 clear percentage.
 
Series Matchup
Both teams have faced each other once in the national stage, back in 2023 when both played for the national semifinal in Indianapolis. The Setters won that matchup to go on and win the national title. Overall, the Mocs have split the four total games played against Pace, 2-2, most recently a 20-11 win at home on March 16, 2025.
 
NCAA History
The Mocs have appeared in the NCAA tournament 10 times in program history, with a national championship in the 2016 season. FSC beat Adelphi in that matchup 8-7 in Denver, Colorado. Over the 10 postseason appearances, the Mocs have a 14-8 overall record, including two national title games played.
 
NCAA Semifinal Games
Florida Southern and Pace feature the first semifinal game of the day in the NCAA championship, with Maryville taking on East Stroudsburg for the 7:00 p.m. game. Winners of the two games will take part in the 2026 NCAA DII National Championship on Saturday, May 23, at 5 p.m. at Judson Stadium.