Joseph R. Ianniello '90 is the newest recipient of the Peter X. Finnerty Leadership Award. He'll be presented with this honor at the 2024 Pace Athletics Hall of Fame Brunch and Awards Ceremony, which will be held on Sunday, October 27.
A Spring Season of Success
Pace University Athletics boasted a spring season filled with success. Throughout the four spring season programs—men’s and women’s lacrosse, baseball, and softball—Pace celebrated several All-American honors, memorable moments, and postseason victories.
Women’s lacrosse earned their first-ever Northeast-10 Championship in program history, defeating Adelphi University, 16-14, at Northwell Stadium. Despite falling short in the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) tournament, the Setters put together an impressive season, finishing with a 21-1 overall record. The team was honored with four All-America selections, as Angelina Porcello and Alexandra Quinn earned IWLCA First Team All-America honors, while Delilah Doyle and Samantha Tanguay were selected to the IWLCA All-America Second Team. Regarding NE-10 major awards, Porcello earned Midfielder of the Year, Tanguay was selected as Goalkeeper of the Year, Quinn captured Defender of the Year, and Maddie Schubert took home Rookie of the Year while head coach Tricia Molfetta was honored as Coach of the Year. Porcello solidified herself as one of Pace's greatest athletes ever as she became the all-time points leader in Pace history with 284 points (206 goals, 78 assists).
Men’s lacrosse reached new heights on the field in 2024. The squad ended their season with a 13-4 overall record and earned their first NCAA Tournament win in program history against Mercyhurst University. Their NCAA Tournament run ended in the quarterfinals, but the Blue and Gold exceeded expectations in 2024. Their stellar season led to a handful of USILA All-American selections. Ryan Kemp was chosen for the first team, while Rafael Rodriguez, Jr. and Chris Caputo were named to the second team. The trio of Rowan Kelly, Maxwell Streety, and Daniel Zabbia were given honorable mentions. The season had a notable milestone for Head Coach Tom Mariano, as he earned his 100th career win.
Softball matched a program record for wins, finishing with an overall record of 33-16. In their outstanding season, the Setters earned an NCAA Tournament win over Bridgeport University that included a no-hit performance from Gisselle Garcia, her fifth of the year. After the season, Garcia was selected as the first-ever All-American in Pace softball history, earning NFCA Third Team honors and a D2CCA Second Team selection. Garcia put together one of the best pitching displays in Pace history, which included breaking the record for career strikeouts and earning NE-10 Pitcher of the Year. Garcia and Brianna Shea were chosen for the D2CCA All-East Region First Team, while Raelle Gorman earned a Second Team selection.
Baseball had an accomplished season in 2024, concluding with a 28-19 overall record. The Blue and Gold took home a win in the Northeast-10 tournament, defeating the College of Saint Rose 8-5. Although the team came up short of back-to-back Northeast-10 titles, they had many positive takeaways from their season. Dan Brown was selected as the Southwest Division Pitcher of the Year, along with an NCWBA All-East Region Second Team honor and his impressive year led to Brown signing with the Windy City Thunderbirds of the Frontier League. Freshman Dylan Koch earned the Southwest Division Rookie Hitter of the Year and an All-Rookie team selection. 13 total All-Conference selections were earned which marked the most from a spring team.
With the abundance of success in each program, it certainly was a spring season to remember at Pace.
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Congratulations to Jeane Drury '15, Al Elliott '02, Casey Gelderman '18, Brian Pirone '96, and Claudia Stabile, who will be inducted into the Pace Athletics Hall of Fame on Sunday, October 27 as part of Homecoming Weekend.
During the 2023–2024 academic year, Pace student-athletes recorded some big wins both on and off the field.