via school press releases/websites

BOX SCORE

No. 2 Rollins Pounces on Panthers in Season Opener

by Michael Pierce

MELBOURNE, Fla. (February 3, 2024) – The second-ranked Rollins men’s lacrosse team easily dispatched of Florida Tech in Saturday’s season opener for both teams, 18-10. The Tars jumped out to a 9-3 halftime lead and never looked back.

Jack Johnstone led all players with six goals to go along with an assist for a seven-point outing, while Logan Myers tallied four goals and Mikey Berkman added two goals, two assists, and two caused turnovers. Shahé Katchadurian stopped 16 of 23 shots that he faced in 56:29 of action, giving him his first win of the season.

HOW IT HAPPENED:
First Quarter

• After Florida Tech opened the scoring, Tyler Dunn found the back of the net off an assist from Berkman to tie the game at one just under five minutes into the contest.
• Berkman followed with his first goal a minute later, and 27 seconds after that he found Johnstone for his first goal, giving the Tars a 3-1 lead.
• The Panthers got one back before Grant Hansen netted his first of the season, which gave Rollins a 5-3 edge after one quarter of play.

Second Quarter

• Berkman scored just 12 seconds into the second, and Sam Mattson followed up with a goal less than a minute later.
• Mattson tallied his second at the 11:04 mark, increasing the lead to 7-2.
• Following a Florida Tech goal, Chad Bulera scored and Johnstone tallied his second of the night, pushing the lead to 9-3 going into halftime.

Third Quarter

• Just 21 seconds into the second half, Max Armitage scored, which was followed a couple of minutes later by Myers’ first of the night, making it an 11-3 score.
• The Panthers scored the next three goals, but Myers scored the next two goals and Johnstone followed with his third of the night.
• Florida Tech scored in the closing seconds of the quarter, making it a 14-7 game heading to the fourth.

Fourth Quarter

• Myers scored just over a minute into the period, with Johnstone racking up three consecutive goals over the following eight minutes, building the lead to 18-7.
• The Panthers found the net three times in the final two minutes, accounting for the 18-10 final score.

UP NEXT:
The Tars will travel to Wilson, North Carolina for a non-conference clash with Barton next Saturday, February 10, at 1 p.m.

Fans can follow the Tars all season long at RollinsSports.com. Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest #TARnation news by following Rollins Sports on Facebook, X, and Instagram.

**********

Second Quarter Slump Too Much to Overcome in Season Opener

by Christina Hardman

MELBOURNE, Fla. – Florida Tech men’s lacrosse opened up the 2024 season at home against SSC-foe Rollins. The Tars jumped out to a 9-3 halftime lead, which proved to be too much for the Panthers to overcome.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: RV Florida Tech 10, #2 Rollins 18
Records: RV Florida Tech (0-1, 0-0 SSC) | #2 Rollins (1-0, 0-0)
Locations: Rick Stottler Field | Melbourne, Fla.

FIRST QUARTER:

• The Panthers were first on the board to go up 1-0 as Zach Rozgonyi found the back of the net off a feed from Ben Foster.
• Rollins scored three straight to take a 3-1 lead with 9:00 on the clock.
• The Panthers got one back 30 seconds later, Jakob Terpak fired a rocket to make it 3-2.
• The Tars posted one more to end the period with a 4-2 lead.

SECOND QUARTER:

• Rollins outscored the Panthers 5-1 in the second frame.
• Three straight for the Tars would put Tech down 7-2 with 11:04 remaining.
• Collin Stewart tallied his first goal of the season on an assist from Rozgongyi.
• Rollins would post two more to extend their lead 9-3 going into the break.

THIRD QUARTER:

• Max Armitage and Logan Myers opened the period for the Tars with a goal apiece to go up 11-3.
• Tech answered back with three straight to cut the deficit to five, 11-6. Brooks Van Esselstyn, Nate Deplancke, and Ben Foster each tallied unassisted goals.
• Myers would record two more for the Tars before Rollins’ Jack Johnstone added one of his own to put Rollins up 14-6 with 46 seconds remaining.
• Rozgonyi closed out the period with a goal on an unassisted effort.

FOURTH QUARTER:

• Rollins carried the momentum into the final period, scoring four straight.
• Tech answered back with three unanswered goals to end the game. Joe Coveleski and Stewart teamed up to make it 18-8 with 1:54 on the clock.
• Cam Johnson then found Covesleski in front of the net for another.
• The final goal came from Ben Foster, who netted one in the top corner off a feed from Cam Johnson.

COACHES CORNER:

“Rollins is ranked #2 for a reason, and they played like it,’ said Coach Brad McArthur. “We want to test ourselves against the best as much as possible. That’s the standard.

“Throughout the game, we had stretches where we looked really good, and we had others that looked weak and disorganized. We’ve got a week to prepare and regroup for Limestone. We’re not going to hang our heads in pity. We take tomorrow off, and Monday, we get back to work.”

NOTABLE PANTHERS:

• Zach Rozgonyi and Ben Foster led with two goals and one assist each.
• Joe Coveleski added two goals on four shots.
• Collin Stewart, Nate Deplancke, Brooks Van Esselstyn, and Jakob Terpak each tallied a goal.
• Ricky Fedorchak led the defense with three caused turnovers and three ground balls.
• Brian Balotta grabbed two ground balls and forced one turnover.
• Jax Francisco recorded nine saves. Connor Davis posted five.

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE:

• Rollins ended with an advantage in shots (45-42), shots on goal (32-26) and ground balls (28-26).
• Tech went 20-23 on clears while Rollins went 22-25

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:

• Florida Tech moves to 6-9 all-time against the Rollins Tars and 4-4 all-time at home
• Tech is 6-6 in season-opening games, with their last win being a 10-7 triumph at Coker on February 10, 2019.
• Graduate Ben Foster, and Freshmen Joe Covesleski and Brooks Van Esselstyn each scored their first goal as a Panther.

UP NEXT: Florida Tech is on the road Feb. 10 when they travel to Gaffney, S.C. to take on #4 Limestone at 12 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.