The second-ranked Florida Southern College Moccasins will face off against a familiar foe in the NCAA Division II Women's Lacrosse Championship Second Round Saturday as the Mocs host the fifth-ranked University of Tampa Spartans at the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex in Auburndale, Fla.
Game Time: 11:00 AM
Tickets: $10 Adults, $7 Senior (62yr & Military), $5 Students (Valid ID), FREE Children
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#2/#2 Florida Southern earned the one-seed in a stacked South Regional tournament. As one of the top two seeds in the region, the Mocs earned the right to host and a first-round bye. Florida Southern hosted fourth-seeded Tampa and fifth-seeded Embry-Riddle in a first-round matchup on Thursday, where the Spartans defeated the Eagles 17-10 to advance to the second round.
The other side of the South Region bracket is played at two-seed Flagler, where they hosted third-seed Saint Leo, and sixth-seed Young Harris on Thursday. The Lions in their first NCAA tournament appearance, defeated the Mountain Lions of Young Harris 19-11 to advance to the second round game against the Saints. The Lions and Saints will face off in Saint Augustine at 7:00 PM on Saturday night.
Saturday's second-round game marks the third meeting between the Moccasins and Spartans in this 2026 season. Florida Southern holds a 2-0 record over the defending National Champions this season, most recently defeating the Spartans 11-8 in the Sunshine State Conference Championship for their fifth SSC Tournament title.
Florida Southern posted nine players on All-SSC teams, including Kolby Cohen who was named Draw Specialist of the Year. She leads the squad with 116 draw controls, while still contributing on both sides of the ball. Cohen also has notched 34 points on 19 goals and 15 assist. Defensively she has picked up 14 ground balls and caused 11 turnovers. The junior was also named the Sunshine State Conference tournament's Most Outstanding Player, when she had five draw controls, three goals, and one assist in the SSC title game the last time these two teams squared off. The biggest threat for the Moccasins is their evenly distributed scoring, with eight players with goals in double figures. Jenna Vetter leads the way with 56 goals, while also contributing 10 assists. Nearly half of the Moccasins' goals this season have been assisted with Hanna Watson and Riley Rivera each contributing 19.
Defensively, the Mocs have been on lockdown all year, limiting opponents to an average of eight goals per game. Eight Moccasins have caused double-digit turnovers, led by junior Audrey Cannelli with 37. They have also limited opponents to 18.7 shots per game, while the Mocs' offense averages 30.6 shots per game.
For the Spartans, Mary Kate Person and Isabella Avila have been the two names to look out for. Person is the Spartans leading goal scorer, with 73 on the season. When the Mocs and Spartans met in the SSC Championship game, she led Tampa with three goals and one assist. Avila is the standout on the Spartans defense. With 55 caused turnovers and 38 ground balls, she anchors the defense for the Spartans. Avila is also active on the draw circle, grabbing a team-leading 109 draw controls, the only Spartan in triple-digits.
