SSC Conference Lacrosse Players of the Week – March 4-10, 2024
Men’s Lacrosse Offensive Player of the Week
Canyon Birch – Tampa
Senior – Attack – Brielle, New Jersey
Birch gathers Offensive Player of the Week by leading Tampa to an 11-10 double overtime victory against No. 6 Wingate. The Brielle, New Jersey native scored six goals for the Spartans, including the game-winner in double overtime. Birch led all players in goals and points; he also caused a turnover in the win. His six goals came on 16 total shots and 11 shots on goal.
Men’s Lacrosse Defensive Player of the Week
Luca Mercaldo – Tampa
Sophomore – Goalkeeper – Baltimore, Maryland
Mercaldo picks up Defensive Player of the Week following his performance on the road in a neutral site double overtime victory against No. 6 Wingate (11-10). The Baltimore native led Tampa to a win following 11 saves and 10 goals allowed in net. Mercaldo faced 27 total shots in the match during his 65+ minutes in net and collected three groundballs.
Men’s Lacrosse Specialist of the Week
Alex Poma – Tampa
Grad Student – FOS – Marietta, Georgia
Poma earns Specialist of the Week for the second time in 2024 after overwhelming the competition in Tampa’s 11-10 double overtime, neutral site victory against No. 6 Wingate (11-10). The grad student from Marietta, Georgia, won 20-of-26 face-offs in the win for a .769 winning percentage. Poma also gave the Spartans a game-high 12 groundballs and an assist in the win. This week’s accolade is the third of his career.
Women’s Lacrosse Offensive Player of the Week
Jackie Stoller – Florida Southern
Grad Student – Attack – Wayland, Massachusetts
Stoller secures Offensive Player of the Week for the second time in 2024 for her performance in FSC’s three games against Top-20 competition. The Wayland, Massachusetts native began the week two goals and an assist in a 16-14 loss to No. 8 Regis. She followed with two goals, one assist, and one draw control as the Moccasins fell to No. 1 Pace, 16-12, on the road. Lastly, Stoller scored seven goals and dished four assists in FSC’s 18-13 win at No. 17 Mercy. The grad student averaged 5.7 points, 3.8 goals, and 1.3 assists per game for the week. Stoller also had a .875 shot-on-goal percentage, with 14-of-16 total shots hitting the mark. Her 11 points against Mercy are tied for fifth most in the SSC’s single-game records. This week’s accolade is the third of her career.
Women’s Lacrosse Defensive Player of the Week
Jessica Harclerode – Saint Leo
Sophomore – Goalkeeper – Sayville, New York
Harclerode wins Defensive Player of the Week with her efforts in Saint Leo’s 2-1 week. The sophomore helped the Lions to an 18-16 win over No. 22 Seton Hill with 11 saves while facing 41 total shots. The Sayville, New York product also led SLU to a 23-8 victory over Belmont Abbey with 10 saves against 23 shots in 45 minutes between the pipes. Harclerode made eight in a 16-9 loss to No. 21 Assumption while facing 31 total shots. She provided her team 18 groundballs and a .426 save percentage last week. This week’s accolade is the fourth of her career.
