Spartans Advance to NCAA Quarterfinal

TAMPA, Fla. – The No. 2 University of Tampa men's lacrosse team delivered a dominant performance on Sunday afternoon, defeating Flagler College by a 12–3 margin at the Naimoli Family Athletic and Intramural Complex. With the victory, the Spartans improve to 19-1 overall.

How It Happened

Tampa established control from the opening faceoff and dictated the pace throughout the afternoon. The Spartans broke through less than a minute into the contest when Aaron Cho found Grant Green cutting toward the crease for the game's opening goal at the 14:11 mark. Tampa's defense locked in early, limiting Flagler's offensive opportunities and forcing multiple turnovers throughout the first quarter.

The Spartans continued to pressure offensively with several quality scoring chances before finally doubling the advantage late in the period. With under a minute remaining, Rafe Bradshaw connected with Zack Friend, who buried his shot to give Tampa a 2–0 lead heading into the second quarter.

Tampa's offense found another gear in the second quarter, beginning with Green's second goal of the game just 46 seconds into the frame. The Spartans then capitalized on a Flagler penalty midway through the quarter as Eric Burbank fed Jackson Bashaw for a man-up goal to extend the lead to 4–0.

Flagler managed to break through with three minutes remaining in the half, but Tampa answered emphatically in the closing minute. Bashaw struck twice in a span of 16 seconds, first converting another feed from Burbank before completing the hat trick off an assist from Rex Kesselring. The late offensive surge sent the Spartans into halftime with a commanding 6–1 advantage and all the momentum.

The Spartans continued to dominate possession in the third quarter behind strong faceoff play and relentless defensive pressure. Bashaw opened the scoring less than two minutes into the half after Cho picked up his second assist of the afternoon. Moments later, Tampa capitalized on another extra-man opportunity as Bashaw found Tommy Ortega for a man-up finish that pushed the lead to 8–1.

Tampa's defense continued to frustrate the Saints, holding Flagler scoreless in the quarter while controlling the ground ball battle. Kyle White added to the advantage midway through the period with a finish off a feed from Kesselring, extending the lead to 9–1 entering the final quarter.

Bashaw continued his standout afternoon early in the fourth quarter, finishing off his fifth goal of the game off another assist from Burbank to make it 10–1. Flagler answered with a pair of goals midway through the frame, but the Spartans quickly halted any momentum shift. Dom Rottura set up Justin Conly for a late goal before Evan Gibbs assisted Ben Anton in the final minute to cap the scoring and seal Tampa's 12–3 victory.

Spartan Performances

• Jackson Bashaw led the offensive attack with five goals and one assist.
• Grant Green added two goals, while Tommy Ortega, Kyle White, Zack Friend, Justin Conly, and Ben Anton each scored once.
• Eric Burbank paced the playmakers with three assists, while Aaron Cho and Rex Kesselring each recorded two assists.
• Tampa dominated possession at the faceoff X, winning 15-of-17 faceoffs behind Ryan Thomas and MP Thomas.
• The Spartans controlled the ground ball battle 46–13 and outshot Flagler 46–18.
• Kyle Rolley earned the win in goal with four saves across nearly 58 minutes of action.
• This marks the third consecutive season that Tampa has been in the NCAA Quarterfinals.

Up Next

The Spartans await their next postseason matchup as Tampa continues its run in the NCAA tournament. The program will face the winner of Lewis/Newberry on Wednesday, May 13 at 4:00 p.m. at Naimoli Family and Athletic Intramural Complex.