Mocs Roar Past Saint Leo For Tenth Win of the Season

LAKELAND â€" It was the programs first ever senior night and Florida Southern Women’s Lacrosse gave their two seniors a grand send off by defeating the Saint Leo Lions 19-5 on a warm humid night here at Bryant Stadium. The ninth-ranked Moccasins improved to 10-2 on the season while the Lions, who came into the game boasting a five game win streak, fell to 8-6 overall.

Before the game started the Mocs honored seniors, Danielle LaDuca (Webster, N.Y.) and Mara Mason (Rochester, N.Y.) for their contributions to the program since joining for the inaugural season in 2012. Both seniors have been an integral part in the Mocs’ early success, helping the program achieve a 12-4 record in its inaugural season and a top-10 ranking in the latest IWLCA poll.

The Mocs’ offense controlled the game from the very beginning scoring the first four goals of the game in the opening 15 minutes. Caitlin Chase (Mt. Laurel, N.J.) opened the scoring for FSC; while Katie Ferree (Kennett Square, Pa.) tallied the next two goals and Ashley Robertson (Ellicott City, Md.) finished off the early scoring spree. Saint Leo finally found the net to get themselves on the board but the Mocs didn’t let up as they ended the final 10:40 of the first half scoring four goals. Mason, who was one of two seniors honored before the game, scored two goals during the run to help give FSC their 8-1 lead at halftime.

Mason added her third goal of the game to open the half but it was back and forth between the two teams for approximately the first 20 minutes as the Mocs were looking to tack on the 10-goal mercy rule. The Mocs, who were up 12-4, were finally able to break away from SLU for good, at the 11:26 mark in the second half, as Lorianne Hoover (Annapolis, Md.) put in a goal that sparked a 7-1 run for FSC to finish out the game. Laduca, who leads the team in goals scored this year, found the net with 4:52 remaining in the game to give the senior her lone goal on senior night.

Chase surpassed her 2012 season mark of 64 points with six points in the game on two goals and four assists. The 64 points were a program record for number of points in a season; she currently sits at 69 total points with three games remaining. Also setting a career-high in points was Laduca; the senior, who tallied one goal and one assist currently, has 44 points on the season which is two better than her previous career-high of 42.

Mason tallied five total points, scoring four times and assisting on another. On the defensive side, Marissa Masello (Warners, N.Y.) caused three turnovers and picked up three ground balls while Brianna Collacchi (Parkton, Md.) led the team with six ground ball pick-ups.

Goalkeeper Katie Hammerer (Califonia, Md.) earned her eighth victory of the season and improved to 8-1 overall while the Lions’ goalie, Brittany Milsap fell to 7-6 overall with the loss. Hammerer only faced 13 shots, stopping six, but Milsap had to face a torrent of FSC shots, 37 to be exact. Milsap was able to tally 10 saves, seven of which came in the first half. 

It was the final regular season game for the Mocs at home who will now travel on the road for the final three games on the regular season schedule. Up next for the Mocs will be a rematch and a top 10 match-up between FSC and fifth-ranked Rollins on April 29. FSC will then make their way to the Carolinas taking on Lenoir-Rhyne and third-ranked Limestone in the first week of May.