Spartans Slither Past Moccasins in overtime thriller

LAKELAND, Fla. – The No. 1 ranked University of Tampa men's lacrosse team completed a perfect 16–0 regular season with a thrilling 11–10 overtime win at Florida Southern on Wednesday night, staving off a furious Moccasin rally to remain unbeaten.

How It Happened

• Tommy Ortega opened Tampa's scoring midway through the first quarter as the Spartans trailed 2–1 after one.
• The Spartans dominated the second quarter, scoring four unanswered goals while holding Florida Southern scoreless.
• With goals from four different Spartans, Tampa carried a 5–2 lead into halftime.
• The Mocs opened the second half with two quick goals, but Tampa responded swiftly and entered the fourth with an 8–4 advantage.
• Tampa extended its run to five straight goals, taking its largest lead of the game at 10–4 early in the fourth.
• Florida Southern surged in the final quarter, scoring six consecutive goals to tie the game at 10–10 with under two minutes to play.
• Unable to close it out in regulation, the Spartans headed to their first overtime game of the season.
• Davis Lindsey secured the win in overtime, burying his second goal of the night for the walk-off finish.
• Tampa outshot the Mocs 40–34, picked up 36 ground balls, and committed eight fewer turnovers.

Spartan Performances

• Lindsey was one of four Spartans to score two goals, including the game-winner in overtime, and added an assist.
• Jackson Bashaw contributed two goals, an assist, and a game-high six ground balls.
• With a pair of goals and a ground ball, Rex Kesselring added valuable offensive depth.
• Ronan Sanchez matched the two-goal tally and chipped in a caused turnover on defense.
• Distributing the ball effectively, Ryan Kemp recorded two assists along with three ground balls.
• At the faceoff X, Michael Flores won eight draws and scooped up five ground balls.
• In net, Connor Theriault posted 11 saves, notching his 11th career game with double-digit stops.
• Leading the defensive effort, Gordy Gombold caused three turnovers, the most by any player in the game.
• Zach Johnson and Aaron Cho each added an assist to round out Tampa's balanced offensive showing

Up Next: The No. 1 ranked Spartans now prepare for the Sunshine State Conference postseason, beginning with the semifinals on Wednesday, April 23, and continuing with the championship game on Saturday, April 26.