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BOX SCORE

#5 Mocs Close Regular Season with Rout of PBA

LAKELAND, Fla. – The No. 5 Florida Southern College women’s lacrosse team defeated Palm Beach Atlantic University 21-6 Saturday afternoon at Berend Field. 

The Moccasins (15-2, 6-1 SSC) closed out the regular season, stifling the visiting Sailfish (3-12, 0-7 SSC) after a program-best 11 first-quarter goals. 

Goalkeepers Sydney O’Neill and Rylie Rittberg split time in the cage, although neither was particularly busy as the Moccasins recorded 16 caused turnovers, holding PBA to just 6-of-19 clears, and allowing just 11 shot attempts. 

Graduate student Gina Verrone recorded a pair of caused turnovers with five draw controls, while Jackie Stoller led the team offensively with four goals and an assist on the afternoon. 

The Moccasins were able to jump out to an early advantage, with Maria Reeves and Abby McFerren finding chemistry on the draw, as McFerren secured the first four draw controls of the game. 

Stoller scored twice in the opening minute on two free-position goals to give the Mocs the early advantage, and Madison Tare followed suit with a pair of tallies in the same fashion. 

McFerren joined the scoring frenzy, adding a pair of goals herself in the first five minutes of the game to give the Moccasins a 6-0 lead.

Senior Olivia Manghisi notched another goal on a free-position shot to bring the lead to seven goals, still with over ten minutes to play in the opening quarter. After a relatively lengthy scoring drought between both teams, Hailey Daleo scored her first of three goals on the day, making it 8-0 with six minutes to go. 

The Sailfish would get on the board on the ensuing draw control, but freshman Kenzie Streby tallied on a free-position attempt, scoring her first career goal to put the Mocs up 9-1. 

Daleo tacked on another before freshman Casey Falduto deposited her third goal of the year into the back of the net, cueing the running clock with just over three minutes to play in the first quarter. The 11 goals were the most scored in any quarter in program history. 

Palm Beach Atlantic added on another goal to make it an 11-2 contest heading into the second quarter. The Sailfish scored the first goal of the second frame, but the Mocs responded with another tirade of tallies. 

Senior Elise Alders notched her third goal of the year before Falduto and Stoller each scored again, making it 14-3 midway through the frame.

PBA was able to get another goal back, but Stoller answered the score with her fourth of the game as the clock ran out in the first half, the Moccasins leading 15-4. 

Florida Southern was able to coast to victory over the course of the second half, as Giana Murphy and Hannah Hale each scored in the third quarter while Daleo added another, with the Mocs hanging on to a comfortable 18-6 lead headed into the final frame.

Alders added another tally in the fourth quarter before freshman Chloe Webber scored on a free position attempt to give the Mocs their third straight 20-goal outing, leading the Sailfish by 14. 

Freshman Mia Rosso put the exclamation point on the statement victory, scoring her first career goal in the final two minutes of play to give the Moccasins a 21-6 lead, one that would suffice until the final horn.

With the regular season in the rear view, the Moccasins will now turn their attention to the Sunshine State Conference tournament, which will begin this Thursday. 

The Moccasins earned the second seed in the conference and will host the third-seeded Rollins College Tars on Thursday night, with the first draw control set for 7 p.m. at Berend Field. 

Florida Southern beat Rollins in the first meeting between the two teams by a final score of 17-15 on April 8. 

Scoring Summary

1st Period			PBA	FSC
14:20		FSC – Jackie Stoller	0	1
14:04		FSC – Jackie Stoller	0	2
13:47		FSC – Madison Tare	0	3
12:56		FSC – Madison Tare	0	4
11:10		FSC – Abby McFerren Assisted by Madison Tare	0	5
10:28		FSC – Abby McFerren Assisted by Madison Tare	0	6
10:11		FSC – Olivia Manghisi	0	7
06:08		FSC – Hailey Daleo Assisted by Hailey O’Donoghue	0	8
05:35		PBA – Ella Howlin	1	8
04:11		FSC – Kenzie Streby	1	9
03:55		FSC – Hailey Daleo Assisted by Lizzy Lynch	1	10
03:33		FSC – Casey Falduto Assisted by Giana Murphy	1	11
01:34		PBA – Ella Howlin	2	11
2nd Period			PBA	FSC
13:14		PBA – Madison Bakatsias Assisted by Olivia Larges	3	11
12:50		FSC – Elise Alders Assisted by Jackie Stoller	3	12
09:59		FSC – Casey Falduto Assisted by Sammy Gorrasi	3	13
07:31		FSC – Jackie Stoller	3	14
01:33		PBA – Addyson Johnson Assisted by Katie Avena	4	14
00:05		FSC – Jackie Stoller Assisted by Olivia Manghisi	4	15
3rd Period			PBA	FSC
14:06		FSC – Giana Murphy	4	16
11:27		PBA – Katie Avena	5	16
08:23		PBA – Addyson Johnson Assisted by Julia Gibson	6	16
05:08		FSC – Hailey Daleo Assisted by Abby McFerren	6	17
02:51		FSC – Hannah Hale	6	18
4th Period			PBA	FSC
09:16		FSC – Elise Alders Assisted by Casey Falduto	6	19
03:53		FSC – Chloe Webber	6	20
01:40		FSC – Mia Rosso Assisted by Sammy Gorrasi	6	21

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Sailfish Close Season With a Defeat at No. 5 Mocs

by Brad Seitz, Assistant Director of Athletic Communications

LAKELAND, Fla. – The Palm Beach Atlantic women’s lacrosse team finished up a schedule gauntlet of five-straight ranked Sunshine State Conference opponents today as they faced the No. 5 Florida Southern Moccasins. The Sailfish fell behind early and could never get back into the game as they fell 21-6. PBA finishes their season with a 3-12 record.

The nationally ranked Mocs opened the game by scoring the first eight goals of the day as the home side jumped out to an early lead. Ella Howlin broke through for the Sailfish at the 5:30 mark to get PBA on the board. FSC scored the next three goals to go up ten in the first quarter before Howlin scored her second of the game to close out the first quarter as PBA trailed 11-2. 

Oliva Larges found Madison Bakatsias who scored her second goal of the season just two minutes into the second quarter. Katie Avena assisted Addyson Johnson inside of two minutes left in the half but the Moccasins were in control at the half 15-4.

The Sailfish continued to play each of their two young goalies for a half as Courtney Rausch got the start and made five saves while allowing 15 goals. Georgia Karns came in for the second half and made three saves while allowing six goals as the Mocs went into their bench. Avena and Johnson scored consecutive goals quickly in the third but the Sailfish were shut out the rest of the way as they lost 21-6.

PBA was outshot 38-11 on the day as FSC gained extra possessions by winning 20-of-30 draw controls. Howlin and Johnson led the way offensively as they finish the season with 23 and 15 goals respectively to finish second and third on the team for the season. Katie Caras led the way defensively as she has done all season as she picked up three ground balls and caused four turnovers. 

The Sailfish will look to improve in SSC play next season as they are slated to return 104 of their 105 goals scored this year. PBA will enter 2024 in their third season under head coach Katy Richardson.