Viera alum Nate Deplancke with 2A, Viera alum Gavin Wessel 4GBs/1CTO, Western alum JP Panchook with 2GBs for FIT. Hagerty alum Christian Hofer 1G/2A2GBs for ERAU.

BOX SCORE

Offensive Explosion Leads Panthers to Senior Day Victory

by Christina Hardman

MELBOURNE, Fla. – Florida Tech men’s lacrosse honored its 21 seniors on Saturday afternoon after earning a comeback victory over Embry-Riddle.

The Panthers took a three-goal lead after the opening quarter but faltered in the second frame allowing the Eagles to ensue on a 7-1 run. The Panther’s offense exploded in the fourth quarter to make the comeback, earn a Senior Day win, and improve to 3-1 in Sunshine State Conference play.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: RV Florida Tech 16, RV Embry-Riddle 14
Records: RV Florida Tech (4-6, 3-1 SSC) | #2 Rollins (6-4, 2-2)
Locations: Rick Stottler Field | Melbourne, Fla.

FIRST QUARTER:

• The Panthers outshot the Eagles 5-2 in the opening frame.
• The Eagles took a quick 2-1 lead, with Tech’s first goal scoring by Cam Johnson.
• With under seven minutes to go, Tech’s offensive found their spark, scoring four straight.
• Collin Stewart scored his first of the day, before Nate DePlancke found Ben Foster for a man-up goal
• Griffin Martin accounted for the next two goals, both unassisted.

SECOND QUARTER:

• The Panthers opened the second quarter extending their lead 6-2 as Martin found Stewart with 13:50 on the clock.
• Embry-Riddle ensued on a 7-1 run with their final goal of the period coming with just three seconds left of the clock to take a 9-7 lead into the break.
• Tech’s lone goal during the run was by Joe Coveleski, assisted by Ben Foster.

THIRD QUARTER:

• Teams traded the first four goals of the quarter.
• Joe Covesleski found the back of the net off a feed from Brooks Van Esselstyn with 12:37 to go.
• Tech’s second goal came on an unassisted effort by Luke Policke with 7:46 to go.
• Embry-Riddle posted two more goals to take a four-goal advantage.

FOURTH QUARTER:

• The Panther’s offense exploded in the final quarter, scoring seven consecutive goals to take back the lead.
• Martin scored the first goal, unassisted, to make the score 13-10.
• Stewart then posted his second goal of the day before assisting Zach Rozgonyi to cut the deficit to one.
• Coveleski scored back-to-back goals to take the lead, 14-13 with 8:08 to go.
• Martin and Gavin Stecher provided the final two tallies for push their lead to three with three minutes remaining.
• After a Panther penalty, the Eagles were able to get one more on the board but it wasn’t enough as Tech ran out the clock to take a 16-14 win on Senior Day.

NOTABLE PANTHERS:

• Griffin Martin led with five points on four goals and one assist. He also collected one ground ball.
• Collin Stewart posted four points on three goals and one assist.
• Joe Coveleski recorded four points on four goals.
• Ben Foster added two points on one goal and one assist.
• Nate Deplancke contributed two points on two assists.
• Zach Rozgonyi, Gavin Stecher, Like Policke, and Cam Johnson each added one goal.
• Brooks Van Esselstyn and Andrew Walenty each recorded an assist.
• Ricky Fedorchak led the defense with three caused turnovers and four ground balls.
• Brian Barlotta caused two turnovers.
• Cooper Leonard went 11-19 at the ‘X’ and collected six ground balls.
• Jack Maranto went 8-12 at the ‘X’ and collected five ground balls.
• Jax Francisco posted 12 saves for a .462 save percentage.

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE:

• Embry-Riddle ended with an advantage in shots (49-36) and shots on goal (26-25).
• Florida Tech recorded more ground balls (30-27) and less turnovers (11-10).
• Embry-Riddle was 3-7 on man-up opportunities while Tech finished 1-2.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:

• Florida Tech moves to 5-0 all-time against the Embry-Riddle Eagles and 3-0 at home.
• Collin Stewart’s four points moved him to fifth on the program’s all-time career points list with 125.
• Jax Francisco moves up to third all-time in career wins in net.
• Joe Coveleski’s four goals marked a career-high.
• Griffin Martin’s five points and four goals are both career-highs.

UP NEXT: Florida Tech is back at home on Wednesday, April 10 to take on No. 18 Florida Southern at 7 p.m.

For the latest news, updates and information on the Florida Tech men’s lacrosse team, visit FloridaTechSports.com. Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Panthers news by following Florida Tech Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

*****

Panthers’ Big Fourth Period Knocks Off Eagles, 16-14

by Michael Black

MELBOURNE, Fla. – Despite a torrid first half, the RV Embry-Riddle men’s lacrosse team was upended by RV Florida Tech at Rick Stottler Field on Saturday, 16-14. The Eagles (6-5, 2-2 SSC) held a 13-9 lead after three periods, but were outscored in the fourth by the Panthers (4-6, 3-1 SSC), 7-1.
 
Three Eagles registered hat tricks on the day offensively, led by Pete Abbes’ five goals on 11 shots. Coleman Jacobs put together another four-goal effort, while Marcus Needham netted his third hat trick of the year and added an assist for four points. Isaiah Hines eclipsed the career 100-point mark – the third to do so in Eagles history – adding a pair of assists, while Christian Hofer collected three points on a goal and two assists as well. 
 
Stepping in goal for the Eagles was Carter Groezinger once again, and the sophomore did well to collect nine saves on the afternoon in all 60 minutes of action. Groezinger made some big stops along the way in the effort.
 
Christopher Harper and Jacobs got together for the first goal of the morning with a nice move from Harper to find Jacobs to put the Eagles up 1-0 early. After FIT evened the ledger, Abbes fired in a shot with just one second left on the man-up opportunity to make it 2-1 ERAU.
 
But the Panthers reeled off five in a row to close the first and open up the scoring in the second period. Once again in a man-up scenario, the Eagles capitalized as Hines fed Needham who whipped a shot, starting the Blue & Gold’s scoring stretch. The Eagles outmuscled FIT in the second period, 7-1. Needham bookended the period with scores, the second of which came with just three ticks left in the half. Jacobs potted two goals and Abbes added two more himself, while Hofer rounded out the strong second period as the Eagles took a 9-7 lead into the break.
 
Jacobs opened things up after half time with a goal at the 13:35 mark, then the two sides promptly traded two goals apiece, one from Hines and one from Needham, while Abbes’ fourth goal of the day came with 1:37 left in the third to put the Eagles up by four at the end of the third, seemingly with things in hand.
 
But Florida Tech went on a tear, racketing in seven unanswered goals in the final period while ERAU tried to get things going. It wasn’t until 32 seconds left that the Eagles finally connected on a score, Abbes’ fifth of the afternoon, but by then it was too late as the Panthers ran away with the 16-14.
 
The Eagles will stay in the tough part of their schedule in SSC play next week with a trip to Rollins on Wednesday at 8 p.m. before hosting Saint Leo on Saturday at 3 p.m. for Senior Day at ERAU Lacrosse Field.