he No. 1 ranked University of Tampa men’s lacrosse team improved to 17–0 on the season and punched its ticket to the Sunshine State Conference Championship for the second straight year after a dominant semifinal victory over No. 4 seed Embry-Riddle.
How It Happened
- Zach Johnson netted the first Tampa goal less than 3 minutes into the game.
- Five different Spartans scored in the first quarter, giving the hosts a 5-1 lead after the first.
- The Eagles were outscored 2-6 in the second quarter.
- Tampa, led by 8 goals, headed into halftime of the Sunshine State Conference semifinal.
- The Spartans scored 7 straight unanswered goals after the intermission.
- Tampa found themselves on a 12-0 scoring run through the middle of the game.
- With 42 ground balls, the red and black had nearly triple the Eagles, who had 18.
- The Spartans held the Eagles scoreless for over 32 minutes of play.
- Tampa dominated the X, winning 21 of 28 total faceoffs.
- A remarkable 14 different Spartans found the back of the net against the Eagles.
- The 17-goal victory marks the largest margin of victory for Tampa in the Sunshine State Conference tournament.
Spartan Performances
- Gavin Bomstad and Rex Kesselring led the offensive charge as both recorded their first hat trick of their Spartan career.
- Ryan Kemp contributed across the board with two goals, one assist, three shots on goal, and a ground ball.
- Sunshine State Player of the Week, Davis Lindsey, added a goal and an assist
- Jackson Bashaw and Grant Green each tallied a goal and an assist, helping drive the Spartans’ balanced attack.
- In addition to winning 10 of 14 faceoffs, Michael Flores picked up 5 groundballs and scored a goal..
- A.J. Pascarella led the team with six ground balls, while Conley Stone collected four and added two caused turnovers.
- Six-time Sunshine State Conference Player of the Week winner Connor Theriault and Ryan Kaplan combined for seven saves on 11 shots faced, maintaining Tampa’s defensive strength.
- Connor McDonough found the back of the net twice.
Up Next: The No. 1 Spartans will compete in the Sunshine State Conference Championship match on Saturday, April 26. It will mark their third appearance in four seasons under head coach JB Clarke, having won two of the last three titles.
