thanks to Travis Larner, Athletic Communications Assistant – Florida Southern for this press release   LAKELAND – Seton Hill rallied late with three straight goals, but No.7 Florida Southern held on for a 13-10 victory in a physical Saturday afternoon contest at Bryant Stadium. Leading 12-7 with less than five minutes remaining, the Griffins (3-1, 0-0 PSAC), led by freshman Keagan Pontious, found new life and went on a three-goal run  in a span of 2:16 to reduce the deficit to two. Pontious, who won a game-high eight draw controls, collected back-to-back draws at 5:18 and 4:45 in the fourth quarter, and on each possession, it only took the Griffins 33 seconds to score. She then scored Seton Hill’s third unanswered goal at 2:29 to make it 12-10 in favor of the Mocs. “We just kept trying to change up what was happening on the draw because (Pontious) was really good at it, and we knew heading in that she was going to be successful,” said head coach Kara Reber. “We knew (Emma Simmers) was going to successful coming off the circle. We had to try to change it up so that it was something different from them.” The Moccasins (8-1, 0-0 SSC) received an much-needed win from junior defender Gabby Barowski (Alexandria, Va.) on the ensuing draw control, allowing the them to run key seconds off the clock. Senior attacker Meghan Colucci (Glocester, R.I.) tossed in a last-second goal to secure the three-goal margin of victory. “I definitely think it was a hard game the entire game,” Reber said. “When we were up by five it wasn’t a secure game. It was a battle the whole time. Seton Hill is a really good team.” Saturday’s game saw a total of 69 fouls and six yellow cards handed out. To the dismay of the traveling fans, 43 of those fouls and five of the cards were assessed to the Griffins. The Mocs took advantage, scoring five goals a man up and four off free-position opportunities. The three straight goals the Mocs netted in the second half to give them their largest lead, 12-7, were all on free-position shots. “I think our team is very good about keeping their composure,” Reber said. “Unfortunately, we are going to need a lot of ice baths this weekend. In general, as long as we stay composed and play the way we know how to play, hopefully the calls will go our way.” Senior midfielder Megan Asper scored a season-high six goals on six shots. Her eight points also represented a season high. The Parkton, Md., native entered the game sixth in Division II in goals scored and now has a team-high 32 through nine games. “She was certainly fired up today,” Reber said. “I think in tight games where she is given the opportunity she is going to succeed in the offensive end.” Asper assisted on the first goal of the game, scored by fellow senior Lorianne Hoover (Annapolis, Md.), and netted her first 2:10 later. Seton Hill tied the game at 2-2, but FSC went on a 6-2 run to take a lead it would never relinquish. Following two straight from Seton Hill redshirt junior Emily Fagan, who led the Griffins with four goals, Asper tossed in her third to complete the first-half hat trick with eight seconds remaining before the break. The 2014 Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) First-Team All-American scored twice off the free-position restart during the Mocs’ four-goal second-half run. The Mocs scooped six more ground balls than the Griffins, 22-to-16, and outshot the visitors by five, 24-to-19. Both teams committed 19 turnovers. Simmers, who entered the game with the fourth-most draw controls among all active Division II players, collected four more as Griffins outgained the Mocs, 14-to-10. Florida Southern will conclude its season-opening 10-game homestand on Tuesday, March 17 when it plays host to Lenoir-Rhyne (3-3, 3-0 SAC) at 7 p.m.   Travis Larner Athletic Communications Assistant Florida Southern College 111 Lake Hollingsworth Dr. Lakeland, FL 33801 E: tlarner@flsouthern.edu P: 863-680-4256