Tampa Crowned SSC Regular Season Champs For Third Consecutive Season
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
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1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
|
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1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
Team Stats
#7 Florida Tech
| Game Statistics | #2 Tampa | #7 Florida Tech |
|---|---|---|
| Shots | 40 | 19 |
| Ground Balls | 26 | 16 |
| Saves | 4 | 13 |
| Clears | 19-19 | 23-19 |
| Turnovers | 16 | 19 |
| Face Offs Won | 11 | 3 |
| Man Up | 0-1 | 0-1 |
MELBOURNE, Fla. – The No. 2 University of Tampa men's lacrosse team earned a hard-fought 6–5 victory over No. 7 Florida Tech on Wednesday night at Rick Stottler Field. With the win, the Spartans improve to 16-1 overall and remain unbeaten in Sunshine State Conference play at 7-0.
How It Happened
Florida Tech struck first just over two minutes into the contest, but Tampa responded late in the opening quarter as Eric Burbank found the back of the net with under a minute remaining to even the score at 1–1.
The Panthers regained the lead early in the second quarter, but the Spartans answered with back-to-back goals. Rafe Bradshaw tied the game off a feed from Justin Conly before Grant Green gave Tampa its first lead with an unassisted strike. Tampa carried a 3–2 advantage into halftime.
Florida Tech evened things up in the third quarter, setting the stage for a decisive final frame.
Tampa took control early in the fourth, as Tommy Ortega scored unassisted to reclaim the lead, followed by Burbank's second goal of the night—assisted by Aaron Cho—to extend the margin to 5–3. Florida Tech responded to cut the deficit to one, but Dom Rottura delivered a crucial insurance goal with just over three minutes remaining.
The Panthers added a last-second goal, but Tampa held firm to secure the 6–5 road victory.
Spartan Performances
- Eric Burbank led the offense with two goals, including a key fourth-quarter strike.
- Tommy Ortega, Grant Green, Rafe Bradshaw, and Dom Rottura each added a goal.
- Aaron Cho recorded two assists to pace the playmaking efforts.
- Tampa dominated possession, winning 11-of-14 faceoffs, led by MP Thomas (10-12).
- The Spartans controlled the ground game with a 26–16 advantage in ground balls.
- Westin Schmidt earned the win in goal, recording four saves across 60 minutes.
Up Next
The Spartans have the No. 1 seed in the SSC Tournament and will have a first round bye. The Spartans will play on April 22 at home in the SSC Semifinals.