Spartans and Moccasins on Fourth Consecutive Conference Championship Collision Course

TAMPA, Fla. –  For the fourth consecutive season, the Sunshine State Conference Championship will be decided between No. 1 University of Tampa and No. 3 Florida Southern. The Spartans enter the title match having won 27 of their last 28 games dating back to the middle of last season, while the Moccasins aim to avenge their only loss of the regular season.

The Matchup: No. 1 University of Tampa (16-1, 6-1 SSC) vs. No. 3 Florida Southern (17-1, 6-1 SSC)

Date/Time: Sunday, April 27, 2025, at 12:00 p.m.

Location: Naimoli Family Athletic and Intramural Complex. 1120 West North A Street, Tampa, FL 33606

Series History: Tampa has won four of the last five meetings against Florida Southern, including a 12–8 victory earlier this season. The Spartans have also defeated the Moccasins in the last two SSC Championships—17–16 in overtime in 2023 and 10–9 last season. However, Florida Southern claimed the 2022 conference title with a decisive 20–10 win over the Spartans.

About the Spartans: The No. 1 ranked University of Tampa women's lacrosse team enters the conference championship match after a 14–11 semifinal win over No. 6 Saint Leo. Earlier this season, the Spartans beat Florida Southern 12–8 thanks to hat tricks from Peyton Howell, Sarah Engle, and Mary Kate Person. In that win, Tampa's defense forced 11 turnovers, and Savvy Barbosa, who leads the SSC with a .503 save percentage, recorded nine saves. The Spartans have won 10 straight, own the highest average margin of victory in the league at over 9 goals, and lead the SSC in both goals per game at 17.47 and with only 141 goals allowed all season.

About the Mocassins: The No. 2 seeded Florida Southern Mocassins advance to the title game with a 13–6 semifinal win over Embry-Riddle. The Moccasins' only loss this season came at the hands of Tampa, despite a combined five-goal effort from top conference scorers in Abby McFerren and Giana Murphy who are ranked seventh and third in the SSC in goals, respectively. The Moccasin defense allowed Tampa to go on 6–0 run spanning the second and third quarters to build a their lead.