LAKELAND, Fla. — Florida Southern College men's lacrosse (6-9) narrowly defeated Rollins College (7-8) with an 11-10 victory at Berend Field on Saturday. This win marked the first round of the 2026 Sunshine State Conference Championship, where the Moccasins secured their spot by capitalizing on a fourth-quarter surge, scoring four goals, including a man-up goal. The host team dominated faceoffs, winning 17 of 24, which proved crucial against the Tars' strong offensive efforts.
Senior
Jacob Czyz excelled at the faceoff circle, winning 16 of 22 faceoffs and contributing one goal. Junior
Maddux Walton led the scoring with three goals on nine shots, six of which were on target. Senior
Caiden Wiech added three goals and one assist, showcasing his scoring ability with four shots on goal. Freshman
Elijah Terry secured the victory with a game-winning goal and an additional assist, finishing with four shots on target.
Junior
Alex Haughn led the defensive effort with three caused turnovers while sophomore
Luke Secreti held down the cage with 12 saves.
The opening quarter saw Florida Southern establish early momentum with Wiech scoring the first goal, assisted by sophomore
Luke Hawrish-Blight, at the 10:21 mark. The Moccasins' offense continued to press, with Hawrish-Blight finding the net again, assisted by Wiech, to level the score following a brief lead by Rollins.
FSC's Czyz excelled at faceoffs, aiding in regaining possession that led to senior
Nolan Tighe's goal, putting the home team ahead 3-2. However, Rollins responded with a goal from Jack McCallum to tie the game at 3-3 as the quarter concluded. Both teams ended the first quarter with a balanced score of 3-3.
Florida Southern began the second quarter with a strong faceoff win by Czyz, setting the tone early. Despite several shot attempts, including one from freshman
Angus Walko that hit the post, the Moccasins initially struggled to convert these opportunities into goals. Rollins managed to break through first, with Logan McHugh scoring to give them a temporary lead.
The Moccasins responded decisively with junior
Charlie Fisher scoring, assisted by Terry, to level the score. The quarter continued with back-and-forth action, as McHugh scored again for Rollins. However, Florida Southern answered with Walton finding the net, assisted by freshman
Brady Schnurr, to tie the game once more. The half concluded with the scoreboard showing a 5-5 tie, setting the stage for a closely contested second half.
Florida Southern began the third quarter with determination, controlling the initial faceoff and maintaining offensive pressure. Despite several shot attempts, including one by Walton that hit the crossbar, FSC was unable to convert early opportunities.
Rollins capitalized on its momentum, scoring first in the quarter to extend its lead. However, the Moccasins' defense, led by Secreti's key saves, kept the team in contention. Wiech then narrowed the gap with a goal assisted by senior
Jack Epley, bringing the score closer.
In the closing minutes, Walton netted a crucial goal with an assist from Schnurr, leveling the score at 7-7. Florida Southern's late surge set the stage for a tense final quarter.
Florida Southern capitalized early in the fourth quarter with a goal by Walton at 6:42, extending its lead. After Rollins responded with a goal from Logan Myers, the Mocs maintained control when Wiech scored at 3:44, followed by a man-up goal by Czyz at 3:06 to increase the lead.
Rollins narrowed the gap with a goal from Chad Bulera at 2:26, but Florida Southern's defense held strong. Despite another Rollins goal late in the quarter, Terry secured a crucial goal with two seconds remaining, assisted by Schnurr. FSC closed the quarter with an 11-10 victory.
Bulera led Rollins with two goals from five shots, three of which were on target. Myers matched Bulera's goal tally, scoring twice on four shots with a perfect shot-on-goal percentage. McHugh also contributed significantly with two goals and two assists, taking nine shots and hitting the target five times. These players demonstrated strong offensive performances and were key contributors to the team's recent outings.
Looking ahead, Florida Southern advances to face No. 1 seed Tampa on the road on Wednesday, April 22.Â
