LAKELAND, Fla. – The No. 16 Florida Southern College men's lacrosse team fell to No. 8 University of Tampa by a final score of 17-8 on Saturday night at Berend Field.
The Moccasins (10-3, 3-1 SSC) saw their program-best eight-game win streak come to an end as the Spartans (10-2, 4-1 SSC) put together a complete effort to earn the in-conference victory.
Despite the loss, sophomore
Matt Flammenspeck played well, scoring three goals with an assist to lead the Mocs. Graduate student
Jay Minor and senior
Lucas Sommers each posted two points with a goal and an assist.
The Spartans took an early lead, scoring the first four goals of the game to momentarily quiet the raucous crowd in Lakeland.
The Mocs responded, reinvigorating the fan base with a four-goal scoring streak over the course of the final five minutes of the first quarter. Flammenspeck assisted
Brydon Robichaud for the first goal of the game before tacking on two scores himself to make it 4-3. The three goals came in the span of roughly thirty seconds.
Freshman
Nolan Tighe tied the game with just under two minutes remaining in the frame to shift the momentum in favor of the Moccasins heading into the second quarter.
The tides were only turned momentarily, as the Spartans would go on to shut out the Mocs in the second, with the visitors taking an 8-4 lead into the half.
Despite the scoreless frame, junior goalkeeper
Michael Simone played well, making three saves in the quarter to keep the Mocs in the game. He would go on to make nine stops on the day in the loss.
The Spartans continued their onslaught in the early-goings of the third quarter, tallying twice to open a six-goal lead before the Mocs ended their mid-game scoring drought.
Minor scored roughly five minutes into the half to cut the deficit and make it a 10-5 game before
Brendan Glasser tacked on another goal to once again make it just a four-goal contest.
Tampa eliminated any feelings of good will with a pair of quick tallies in the final minutes of the quarter, making it 12-6. Flammenspeck's 40
th goal of the year gave the Moccasins life heading into the final quarter, but another scoring run from the visitors thwarted any comeback bid.
Sommers scored late in the fourth quarter to earn his ninth tally of the year, but not before the Spartans notched five goals to take a commanding lead that they would hang on to until the final horn, winning 17-8.
With the loss, the Mocs now turn their attention to Wednesday night when they will travel to Winter Park, Fla. for a big in-conference matchup with the No. 7 Rollins College Tars at 8 p.m.
