via FSC press release   LAKELAND, FL – Florida Southern College men’s lacrosse got out to an early 3-0 lead in the first three minutes of play as it defeated Palm Beach Atlantic, 12-7, on Saturday afternoon at Moccasin Field. The Moccasins (5-3, 1-0 SSC) and the Sailfish (4-7, 1-1) took to the field together for the first time ever as PBA is in its first season of men’s lacrosse. Lucas Claude scored five of the Moccasin’s 12 goals including the eventual game-winning goal with 9:18 left in the third quarter. Mike Greco had another amazing game as he made 13 saves on 20 shots on goal. Greco and the Moccasin defense held the Sailfish to just two goals on 14 shots in the first half. Dalton Simpson and Colin Bayer both scored a pair of goals, while Carson Wallace, Kevin Dyer, and Justin Dunleavy also found the back of the net for the Moccasins. HOW IT HAPPENED • Florida Southern jumped out to an early 3-0 lead over the Sailfish. Just a minute and twenty-one seconds into the game, Dalton Simpson found the back of the net for his fifth goal of the season. In a span of 18 seconds Wallace and Dyer, both on feeds from Claude, found the back of the net to make it a three-goal lead less than three minutes into the game. The Sailfish scored their first goal with 10 minutes remaining in the first quarter. • In the second quarter, the Mocs added four more goals as Claude scored twice in the period with back-to-back goals with to close out the first half and give Florida Southern a 7-2 halftime lead. The Moccasins outscored the Sailfish 4-1 in the second quarter. • The third quarter started off with another goal from Claude, who found the back of the net at the 12:40 mark to score what would be the eventual game-winning goal. Both teams would go on a four-minute scoring drought, which ended when freshman Justin Dunleavy scored his third goal of the season with 8:03 to go in the third. Greco made five saves in the third quarter, and the Mocs would add two more goals in the third to give them an 11-4 advantage heading into the final quarter of play. • The Sailfish showed life in the fourth quarter by scoring the first three goals of the final period to close the gap to 11-7, but the Mocs held PBA scoreless over the final four minutes of action and Simpson scored an insurance goal with 50 seconds on the clock to give FSC the victory. INSIDE THE NUMBERS • Saturday’s win gave the Mocs their first-ever win against PBA. The Sailfish, who became full members of the Sunshine State Conference over the summer, are in their first year as a men’s lacrosse program. Embry-Riddle also added men’s lacrosse over the summer to bring the total number of SSC men’s lacrosse programs to eight. • Florida Southern’s 12 goals marked the fifth time this season that the Moccasins have scored at least 10 goals. The Mocs have won all five games in which they have hit double-digits in goals. FSC had 13 turnovers but forced PBA to commit 18. The Mocs outshot the Sailfish 41-32 and won 11-of-20 faceoffs. • Kevin Horwitz finished with 10 or more faceoff wins for the sixth time this season, and also led the Mocs with six ground balls. Alex Dagen collected five ground balls and forced a team-high four turnovers, while Bayer and Claude each tallied two assists. UP NEXT • Florida Southern will host Alabama-Huntsville (March 28) in its final non-conference contest of the season. The Mocs will then hit the road for a pair of SSC contests at Lynn (3/31) and Tampa (4/4) before returning home for three-straight conference matchups.   via PBA press release – photo by Ron Hilliard    

LAKELAND, Fla. – Palm Beach Atlantic men’s lacrosse took to the road for the first time in SSC play on Saturday and were unable to pick up a victory, falling to Florida Southern 12-7.

The Sailfish (4-7, 1-1 SSC) fell behind 3-1 after the first quarter after the Mocs scored the first three goals early in the game. Brendan Fischer finally got on the board five minutes into the quarter, the first of two goals on the day for Fischer.

Trent Parker scored midway through the second quarter but the ‘Fish trailed 7-2 at the break. In the third quarter the Mocs extended the lead to 9-2 before Jackson Miller scored his first of the afternoon. Fischer followed 50 seconds later to pull PBA within five at 9-4 but FSC answered again quickly.

Two more goals in the quarter for the Mocs all but sealed it for the home team before PBA scored three times in the final quarter. Miller added two more to finish with a team-high three goals. Parker also added his second on the day in the fourth.

Ian Mack led PBA with five groundballs and had the lone caused turnover in the game for PBA. Ben Savick made 11 saves in goal for PBA.

The Sailfish are back in action on Thursday as they host No. 14 Saint Leo at 7 p.m.