Rollins Falls to Panthers in Opener

MELBOURNE, Fla. (March 31, 2021) – The Tars stumbled out of the starting gates, dropping their season opener 15-9 to the Florida Tech Panthers.  Rollins starts the season 0-1, and 0-1 in Sunshine State Conference play.  Florida Tech picks up their first win, and currently sit at 1-2 overall, and 1-2 against SSC competition.
 
Ryan Dunn led the way for Rollins with three goals and one assist, good for four points.  Finn Jent also tallied a hat trick out of the midfield.  Blake Buell paced the Tars with a pair of assists.  Cody Iserman and Patrick Thomas split time in cage for the Tars.
 
Reid Chaconas netted a game high four goals for the Panthers.  Zach Rozgonyi registered a hat trick and Chandler Hake dished out two assists.  Kyle Renz made 11 saves, playing the full game in net for Florida Tech.
 
Chaconas got the Panthers on the board first, before Bailey Pringle would equalize with Rollins first score of 2021.  Chaconas scored his second after the 10 minute mark, but again Rollins answered, this time with Dunn's first.  The Panthers would tally the next pair of scores, including Chaconas's third before Jent's first goal pulled the Tars back within one.  The Panthers would extend the deficit to two just before the end of the quarter, as Chaconas scored his fourth goal of the first period, with just 15 seconds on the clock.
 
A sloppy second quarter put Rollins in hole that would not be able to dig themselves out of.  The Panthers scored three goals before Rollins got their lone tally of the period, an extra man goal from Dunn.  Overall, the Tars turned the ball over 10 times in the quarter, and were outshot 15-4.
 
Florida Tech would net the first two goals of the second half, extending their lead to 10-4.  Dunn scored off an assist from Peyton Miller, before Florida Tech tallied another pair of goals, making the score 12-5 as the clock ticked under five minutes.  The Tars ended the quarter with goals from Jent and Pringle to enter the final frame down 12-7.
 
Another score from Jent got the Tars to within four, at 12-8, but that was as close as the Tars would get.  Florida Tech tallied another two goals before the Tars got their final score from a man-up goal off the stick of Buell.  Florida Tech would beat the Tars' keeper once more, before seeing out the final five minutes.
 
UP NEXT:
The Tars will host Saint Leo in their home opener on Saturday, April 3.  Faceoff is set for 2 p.m.

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