NE10 LANDING PAGE - DII 50th ANNIVERSARY
New Haven was a Founding Member of Division II.
MANSFIELD, Mass. - Pace University, a Northeast-10 Conference member for over 25 years, first entered Division II in 1983. 40 years later, the Pace women's lacrosse program became the first in school history to win a national championship. The achievement marks steady progress for the Setters, as they enter their fifth decade at the Division II level.
Pace first broke into the Division II model in 1983 - 10 years after the Division was started - as a member of the Empire State Conference. The Setters would remain there until 1989, when it joined the New York Collegiate Athletic Conference (NYCAC) - now recognized as the East Coast Conference (ECC). In January of 1997, it was announced that Pace would join the NE10 for the 1997-98 academic year, which gave the conference 11 full members.
Just a few months prior to Pace accepting its invitation into the NE10, Quinnipiac had announced its shift to Division I, which became official after the 1997-98 season. Pace joining the NE10 kept league membership at 10 institutions following Quinnipiac's departure, which is where it would stay until five institutions joined the conference in the 2000-01 academic year - raising the total to 15 members.
During its early tenure with the NE10, it was Joe O'Donnell who led Pace as its Director of Athletics - a position he retired from in 2011 after 14 years at the helm. O'Donnell played an instrumental role in the development and opening of the Ann & Alfred Goldstein Health, Fitness and Recreation Center in 2002, which was the new home of Pace volleyball, men's and women's basketball, and men's and women's swimming & diving. He oversaw one of the most successful eras in the history of Pace athletics, which included an ECAC Championship in softball, nearly 20 NCAA Tournament appearances and several NE10 titles. O'Donnell was a key figure in Pace's transition from the NYCAC to the NE10.
Dr. Susan K. Wirth was another prominent figure for Pace athletics. She served as the Director of Women's Athletics and as a professor of Physical Education from 1978-86. Wirth was the first women's volleyball coach from 1978-83, posting a 105-97 (.520) record, while setting the stage for generations of female student-athletes to participate in sports of their choice at Pace.
Since joining the NE10, three student-athletes from Pace have been elected to the NE10 Hall of Fame - including Andy Wasik (men's lacrosse), Angela Locsin (softball) and Wanda Maynard-Morris (women's basketball). Wasik was a two-time NE10 Player of the Year, Locsin once took home both the NE10 Player and Pitcher of the Year awards in the same season, and Maynard-Morris led the Setters to three appearances in the NCAA Tournament - including one trip to the Elite Eight.
NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
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Pace won the 2023 Division II Women's Lacrosse Championship - the first in school history and the first NCAA Championship for a school in Westchester County. The Setters dominated in a 19-9 victory over West Chester, as Angelina Porcello accounted for a game-high five goals and six total points to lead Pace to the national title. Porcello would go on to be named the Division II Player of the Year and the Division II Midfielder of the Year, as announced by the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA).
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In 2015, Pace added both field hockey and women's lacrosse to its roster of varsity sports. Over the past decade, the two programs have been some of the most successful at Pace. In field hockey, the Setters have won double-digit games in five of the past six seasons under head coach Kayte Biordi, while making two NCAA Tournament appearances. In women's lacrosse, Pace is currently the No. 1 ranked team in the country following its national championship last season under head coach Tricia Molfetta, where it boasted a 21-2 overall record.
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The Pace football program had its first year of NCAA Division II competition in the 1993-94 academic year. As an NE10 member, Pace began play in the Eastern Football Conference before the NE10 created its own football conference, which would start in the 2001 season. More recently, Pace went 7-3 in the 2018 season - setting a program record for wins under head coach Andy Rondeau.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT DIVISION II
Claudia Stabile, Assoc. AD/SWA/Softball Head Coach
"Pace is good for the Division II model because we have a true commitment to the academic process and the success of our student-athletes, as we work to empower them as people and prepare them for what lies beyond the field of competition."
Division II 50th Anniversary - Pace University
