#4 Mocs Fall to #5 Spartans in SSC Championship

LAKELAND, Fla. – In the season's second meeting between No. 4 Florida Southern and No. 5 Tampa, the Moccasins dropped the Sunshine State Conference Championship game to the Spartans at Berend Field, 10-9. The Moccasins won the 2024 SSC regular season while the Spartans won their third tournament title in four years.
 
Following the game, Florida Southern's Audrey Cannelli, Olivia Gianakos, and Caitlin Murphy were named to the SSC All-Tournament team.
 
Abby McFerren paced No. 4 Florida Southern (15-4) with a game-high five points on three goals and two assists. Kolby Cohen was third on the team with three points after a pair of goals and an assist.
 
Madison Tare, Camden Frissora, Olivia Manghisi, and Hannah Hale all chipped in one goal in the title game. Jackie Stoller finished the game with two assists for her two points. Tare and Frissora each added an assist to tie Stoller with two points for the game.

Maria Reeves led Florida Southern in draw controls with four, ahead of Audrey Cannelli with three. Caitlin Murphy registered a game-high six caused turnovers while A. Cannelli and Olivia Gianakos each finished with three. Murphy also paced the team with four groundballs in the game. McKenzie Gaghan suffered her fourth loss of the season after tallying eight saves in goal for the Mocs. 
 
No. 5 Tampa (15-3) saw Peyton Howell lead the way with four points on a pair of goals and assists while Sophi Wrisk, the 2024 SSC Tournament Most Outstanding Player, finished with three goals. Gracie Colombo added two goals and an assist for three points while Cece Colombo and Allie Peebles each scored and assisted in the game. Sarah Hinkle provided the Spartans a goal in the win.
 
Both teams would score a pair of goals in the opening frame, but a four-goal second left Florida Southern in front for most of the game. The teams matched each other in the third, 3-3, but a three-goal fourth stunned the Moccasins for the 10-9 Spartan win.
 
Abby McFerren broke the scoreless tie between the two teams nearly five minutes in on an unassisted goal. After back-to-back goals by Tampa, Jackie Stoller found McFerren for another goal to even the quarter at 2-2 with four seconds left.
 
Tampa opened the second with a goal from Peyton Howell, but the Mocs registered four straight goals. Madison Tare and Jackie Stoller each found Kolby Cohen in front of the game where the freshman buried it past the Spartans' keeper, Alex Walling. Olivia Manghisi joined the scoring party after receiving a pass behind the goal and rolling the crease burying it top shelf. McFerren found Tare for the Mocs' sixth goal of the game with 2:20 to go in the second quarter. The Spartans would get one goal back with 1:48 but Florida Southern carried a 6-4 lead at the break.
 
Cohen found a cutting Frissora in the third quarter as a quick shot landed in the back of the net to give the Mocs a 7-4 lead with 13:25 to play in the third. Tampa would get one back before McFerren and Hale scored with 8:22 to play for the 9-5 lead.
 
The Spartans closed the third with two goals and added on three goals in the fourth to capture the conference tournament title, 10-9.
 
The Moccasins will await the NCAA selection show set for May 12 at 8:30 p.m. on NCAA.com. In the first regional rankings, Florida Southern was listed as a team to be considered with new rankings set to be released on April 30.


2024 Sunshine State Conference All-Tournament Team
Most Outstanding Player – Sophi Wrisk (Tampa)
Alyssa Romano (Tampa)
Audrey Cannelli (Florida Southern)
Alex Walling (Tampa)
Caitlin Murphy (Florida Southern)
Cece Colombo (Tampa)
Olivia Gianakos (Florida Southern)
Lexi Waters (Tampa)
Meredith Eitel (Saint Leo)
Mallory Jarka (Lynn)
Maria Palomba (Saint Leo)
Kristyn Johnson (Lynn)
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