Jupiter alums Jackson Bashaw 2G/1A and Devon Rasmus 2CTOs for Tampa, Lakeland alum Kaleb Cook 1G, SJP alum Nick Shannon 2 CTOs for FSC

via the school press releases/websites

BOX SCORE

Spartans Late Offensive Explosion Earns Them Second Straight Conference Win

TAMPA, Fla. – No.3 Tampa takes down conference foe No.14 Florida Southern at home.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The game began with high intensity, with Tampa getting shots on goal early. The Mocs would open the scoring two minutes into the game. Goalkeeper Luca Mercaldo made a great save early to keep the Spartans within one goal. Mitchell Pfeiffer found Andrew Milani at a tough angle to tie the game at one with just over nine minutes left in the quarter. The Mocs netted another one, but Charlie Bolesh responded quickly after to tie the game once again. Canyon Birch netted back-to-back goals to give Tampa the lead, causing Florida Southern to call a timeout. The Spartans’ defense would hold the Mocs scoreless for the last minutes of the quarter.

The second 15 minutes would begin with great defensive play by both teams. It would take almost five minutes for the scoring to begin, with the Mocs netting one. Florida Southern would net consecutive goals to re-take the lead with just under nine minutes left to play before the half. Birch finished off his hat trick to get the Spartans within one of the Mocs late in the quarter. Jackson Bashaw found the back of the net in the final seconds to send Tampa into halftime tied with Florida Southern.

The second half began with an intensity from both teams to regain the lead after the end of the first half. Pfeiffer opened the scoring for the half netting a goal off an assist from Bashaw, putting Tampa back in the lead. Milani connected with Birch in front of the net, where he netted his fourth goal of the game. Bashaw found the back of the net for the second time in the game off a pass from Zack Friend, continuing Tampa’s scoring run. The Mocs would get one back with just over five minutes left in the quarter. Florida Southern would find the back of the net once again late in the quarter, cutting the Tampa lead to one headed into the final quarter.

The final 15 minutes began with the teams battling for possession. With back to back goals from Nick Papa and a last second goal from Owen Miller, the Spartans built their lead to three goals. Tampa’s late offensive push would prove too much for the Mocs to handle. 

Stat of the Game – Canyon Birch netted his 8^th hat trick of the season, in 10 games.

TAMPA POST-GAME NOTES 

• The Spartans have won seven straight.
• Luca Mercaldo recorded 9 saves.
• Birch led Tampa in goals, with 4.
• Poma led the Spartans in groundballs with 6.
• Seven different Spartans netted at least one goal.
• Matthew Beddow led the game in caused turnovers with 3.

UP NEXT – Tampa opens a two-game road trip on Saturday as they travel to take on Palm Beach Atlantic at 3:00p.m.

*****

Fourth Quarter Surge Pushes #3 Spartans Past #14 Mocs

TAMPA, Fla. – The 14^th-ranked Florida Southern College men’s lacrosse team took to the road for the first time in Sunshine State Conference play this season as the Moccasins traveled down I4 to face the third-ranked University of Tampa Spartans. The game was tightly contested for the first three quarters before a 3-0 surge by the Spartans gave the hosts the 12-8 victory.
 
The loss snaps a six-game win streak for the Moccasins who fall to 7-3 on the season including 1-1 in SSC action. The Spartans extended their win streak to seven games and moved to 9-1 overall and 2-0 in league action.
 
Junior Brydon Robichaud was the lone Moccasin with more than one goal on the night as he tallied two goals and dished out an assist for a four-point effort. Six others scored goals while sophomore Caiden Wiech scored a goal and was credited for the only other assist.
 
Graduate student Nick Shannon led the defensive effort with a pair of caused turnovers while scooping up two ground balls. Sophomore Jacob Czyz went 14-of-24 (.583) at the face off with six ground balls.
 
Senior Michael Simone once again had a strong performance in goal for the Mocs as he posted his ninth double-digit save performance of the season with 14 stops against the Spartans while allowing 12 goals.
 
Florida Southern was the first to crack the scoreboard as junior Mason McQuiggin scored just the third goal of his career and first of the 2024 season just under two minutes into the contest. The Spartans responded three minutes later to tie the contest but a penalty on the hosts gave FSC the second extra-man opportunity of the contest. The Mocs were able to take advantage of the “power play” as senior Kaleb Cook beat the Tampa keeper for a 2-1 lead.
 
Tampa closed out the first with a 3-0 run to take a 4-2 lead into the first break of the contest. After a scoreless opening three-plus minutes to the second, the Mocs began their biggest run of the night. The visitors scored four-straight to retake a 6-4 lead. All four goals came in the span of just under four and a half minutes. Junior Matt Flammenspeck began the run with a goal off an assist from Robichaud before 50 seconds later junior Blake Terry found the back of the cage for the first time in a Moccasin uniform. Just over a minute later Wiech was able to give the Mocs the lead before Robichaud extended it to two with his first goal of the contest.
 
Between the end of the second and the opening of the third, the Spartans scored five-straight to open up a 9-6 lead which they would never give up. Tampa scored twice in the final six minutes of the first half including one goal with just 32 seconds left in the period. The hosts then opened the second half with three-straight goals over the opening seven-plus minutes. Robichaud ended the stretch with his third goal of the contest with 5:37 left in the third and then senior Brendan Glasser scored with just over two and a half minutes to play in the period to cut the deficit to just one heading into the final 15 minutes of play.
 
The Spartans held the Mocs scoreless over the final period as the hosts added three more goals to their lead to end the night ahead 12-8.
 
The Mocs will now return to Lakeland to face Embry-Riddle on Saturday, March 30 at noon in another Sunshine State Conference contest.