GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — Florida Southern College men's lacrosse (1-6) was narrowly defeated in overtime by No. 11 Colorado Mesa (3-0) with a final score of 11-10 on Thursday. FSC's strong performance in faceoffs, winning 20 out of 23, highlighted the Moccasins efforts. Despite leading in the first quarter, the Mocs could not hold off a late surge from the Mavericks, who clinched the victory with an overtime goal. Colorado Mesa, ranked 11th in both the USILA Coaches Poll and the Inside Lacrosse Poll, has lost just one regular season home contest since 2020, and that loss came in overtime last season, underscoring their strength at home.
Florida Southern initiated the first quarter with strong momentum, as freshman
Angus Walko scored the opening goal, assisted by fellow freshman
Elijah Terry. Shortly after, Walko converted again with help from another talented freshman
Brady Schnurr, giving Florida Southern an early lead. Junior
Maddux Walton extended the lead further with a goal at 9:17, marking his 16th of the season. Colorado Mesa managed to respond late in the quarter with a goal from Jack Cooper, but the Mocs maintained control throughout, closing the quarter with a 3-1 advantage.
Florida Southern began the second quarter by capitalizing on a turnover, as senior
Caiden Wiech scored with an assist from junior
Will Rockwell, extending the lead to 5-1. Senior
Jack Epley followed with another goal, further solidifying the team's advantage. However, CMU responded with two goals, narrowing the gap. As the quarter progressed, the opposition continued to gain momentum, adding another goal late in the quarter to bring the score to 5-4. Despite efforts to regain control, the Moccasins ended the quarter with a one-goal lead as both teams headed into the break.
Florida Southern began the third quarter with a turnover caused by senior
Jacob Czyz, leading to a goal by Terry at 13:33. The scoring effort was further supported by an extra-man opportunity due to a Colorado Mesa penalty. Following this, Walton scored with an assist from sophomore
Noah Courter at 8:51, reclaiming the lead for Florida Southern. Despite Colorado Mesa's response with goals by Camden Moody and Jack Cooper, FSC maintained its edge. Terry found the back of the net again at 3:36, capitalizing on another man-up situation, assisted by Schnurr. As the quarter concluded, the Moccasins held firm against CMU's late push, ending with a narrow 8-7 advantage.
Czyz set the tone for the fourth quarter with a quick goal at 14:52, marking his third of the season and giving Florida Southern an early edge. Czyz's dominance at the faceoff continued, securing possession for FSC multiple times, and his 18 ground balls are tied for second all-time in a single game in FSC history. Despite this, Colorado Mesa quickly responded, with Jack Cooper scoring at 12:43 to equalize. Florida Southern regained momentum as Terry found the back of the net at 2:14, temporarily restoring their lead. However, the Mavericks managed to draw level again with a goal by Dillon Pless at 3:25 and another crucial score from Cooper at 00:21. Despite a late effort and an extra-man opportunity due to a penalty on CMU, Florida Southern could not capitalize, ending the quarter with a 10-10 draw.
In the overtime period, Florida Southern faced a critical moment as it attempted to regain momentum against Colorado Mesa. Walton took a shot early in the period, but it went wide right, leaving the team still trailing. Colorado Mesa responded with pressure, and despite a save by sophomore
Luke Secreti, Camden Moody eventually found the back of the net with an assist from Shawn Ferguson.
Czyz dominated at the face-off circle, winning 19 of 22, which helped maintain possession throughout the game. Walton contributed offensively with two goals on six attempts, providing a consistent threat on attack. Terry posted three goals and added an assist, showcasing his ability to finish plays. Notably, this marked the first collegiate hat trick of Terry's young career. Walko added two goals, converting four of his five shots on goal. Secreti made 10 saves in the loss as he played the entire game.
Jack Cooper led the Mavericks with five goals, capitalizing on 14 shot attempts, nine of which were on target. Camden Moody contributed significantly with two goals and an assist, including a game-winning goal in overtime. Dillon Pless added to the scoring with two goals from three shots, both of which were unassisted. Goalkeeper Boaz Brown was instrumental, recording 10 saves on 40 shots faced, maintaining a 2-0 record. Additionally, Ari Villano provided depth with a goal and an assist, hitting the target twice in three attempts.
Looking ahead, Florida Southern will face No. 2 Tampa on Saturday, March 21. The matchup is set to begin at 8 p.m. at the Naimoli Family Athletic and Intramural Complex in Tampa, Fla.
