MELBOURNE, Fla. — Florida Southern College men's lacrosse (3-9, 2-3 SSC) fell to No. 11 Florida Tech (10-2, 5-0 SSC) with a final score of 11-6 on Wednesday night at Rick Stottler Field. Despite the loss, the Moccasins managed to win 15 of 21 faceoffs and scored three goals in the fourth quarter, including one extra-man goal. Florida Tech capitalized with consistent scoring, netting three goals in each of the first three quarters to maintain a strong lead throughout the game. Both teams battled the weather throughout the contest as passing showers rained down intermittently all night.
Senior
Jacob Czyz controlled the faceoff circle, winning 15 of 20 faceoffs to maintain possession for Florida Southern. Junior
Vinnie Muscella was effective on offense, scoring two goals on his two shots. Junior
Maddux Walton contributed with a goal and an assist, making three of his four shots on goal. Senior
Caiden Wiech also added a goal and an assist, with two of his three shots finding the target.
Florida Southern began the game with an assertive faceoff win by Czyz, leading to an early offensive attempt by Walton that was saved by Florida Tech's goalie. Despite multiple clear attempts and defensive efforts, Florida Southern found themselves trailing after Florida Tech capitalized on their early possessions, scoring the first two goals of the quarter.
Florida Tech extended its lead to 3-0 with a goal midway through the quarter. The Moccasins maintained their resilience, with goalie sophomore
Luke Secreti making several key saves to keep the deficit manageable. As the first quarter neared its end, Muscella put Florida Southern on the scoreboard with a goal assisted by sophomore
Noah Courter at the 38-second mark. The quarter concluded with Florida Southern trailing 3-1.
Florida Southern began the second quarter by winning the faceoff, setting the stage for potential momentum. However, turnovers hindered progress, allowing Florida Tech to capitalize with a goal by Robert McNamara at 13:45. Florida Southern responded by winning another faceoff, but continued turnovers kept them from finding the net.
The quarter saw Florida Tech extend its lead with a goal from Rob Gadomski, despite consistent faceoff victories by Florida Southern, primarily by Czyz. Defensive efforts were highlighted by saves from Secreti, but Florida Tech's Parker Kane added another goal, bringing the score to 5-1 in favor of Florida Tech.
The Mocs struggled with turnovers and failed clears as the quarter closed, while Florida Tech maintained its offensive pressure. The quarter ended with Florida Tech leading 6-1, with Florida Southern looking to regroup and reduce their deficit in the upcoming quarter.
Florida Southern began the third quarter by winning a faceoff through Czyz, setting the stage for a competitive stretch. Despite an early 30-second clock violation and subsequent turnovers, Florida Southern's defensive efforts led to a turnover by Florida Tech, giving them possession. However, Florida Tech capitalized on an opportunity to score first in the quarter, extending its lead with a goal by Max Henry at 9:32.
Florida Southern responded with determination, as freshman
Elijah Terry scored at 6:37, assisted by Wiech, cutting the deficit. Terry continued to be active, hitting the post shortly after his goal. Florida Southern faced a setback when Florida Tech scored again, but Walton, assisted by senior
Nolan Tighe, found the back of the net at 0:58 to close the quarter. The third quarter concluded with Florida Southern trailing 9-3.
Florida Southern initiated the fourth quarter with a quick goal by Wiech, narrowing the gap. Despite a faceoff violation by Florida Southern, Florida Tech quickly responded with a goal from Landon Addleman, maintaining its lead.
Freshman
Ryan Filippi capitalized on a man-up opportunity, assisted by Walton, to bring the Moccasins closer once more. The team continued to apply pressure, but Florida Tech answered back with another goal by JD Ross, assisted by Gavin Stecher, keeping the game tight.
In the closing minutes, Muscella scored for Florida Southern, assisted by Courter, further closing the deficit. However, Florida Southern's efforts were met with a strong defensive stand from Florida Tech, and the quarter concluded with Florida Tech leading 11-6.
Max Henry delivered a notable performance with a game-winning goal, contributing one goal and two assists on four shots. Joe Coveleski stood out with two goals and one assist, successfully converting both of his shots into goals. Kane also made an impact, scoring once on seven attempts. Meanwhile, Jax Francisco excelled defensively as the starting goalkeeper, recording 12 saves while allowing only six goals on 30 shots faced.
Up next for Florida Southern is a home game against No. 19 Rollins on Saturday, April 11. The matchup is set to begin at 7 p.m. at Berend Field in Lakeland, Florida.
