WINTER PARK, Fla. (April 27, 2023) – The third-ranked Rollins men's lacrosse team had no trouble with visiting Saint Leo on Thursday night in the semifinals of the SSC Tournament, handing the Lions a 17-9 defeat to move on to Sunday's championship game. Saint Leo ends the season at 9-7, while the Tars go to 14-1 and advance to host No. 16 and third-seeded Florida Southern in Sunday's title game at 1 p.m.
Mikey Berkman racked up seven points on five goals and two assists to go along with two ground balls and a caused turnover.
Jack Johnstone tallied three goals, an assist, three ground balls, and two caused turnovers, while
Grant Hansen had two goals, two assists, six ground balls, and two caused turnovers.
William Metz also chipped in with two goals and an assist.
Shahé Katchadurian (13-1) got the win, making eight saves on 14 shots in 53:42 of game time.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
First Quarter
- Justin White was the first to score on Thursday night, and he was followed by Hansen, Logan Myers, and Johnstone, as the Tars established a 4-0 lead in the opening 7:16 of the game.
- The Lions got on the board at the 6:52 mark, which would prove to be the final goal of the quarter.
Second Quarter
- White and Berkman netted the first two goals in the second to push the lead to 6-1.
- After the Lions scored, Berkman put home his second to make it 7-2.
- Saint Leo got the next goal, only to see Johnstone score and Berkman tally back-to-back goals in the span of 14 seconds, lifting the Tars to a commanding 10-3 lead at the half.
Third Quarter
- The Lions scored 15 seconds into the third quarter, but that would be their only tally of the period.
- William Metz and Zane Williams scored less than a minute apart, followed by goals from Berkman, Johnstone, and Hansen, extending the lead to 15-4 after three quarters.
Fourth Quarter
- Brooks Rask and William Metz each tallied markers in the fourth quarter, with Saint Leo scoring five times as well, but never challenging the Tars as Rollins rolled to a 17-9 win.
UP NEXT:
The top-seeded Tars will now host 16th-ranked and third-seeded Florida Southern in the SSC Championship game, after FSC upset second-seeded Tampa on Thursday, 12-10. Sunday's championship contest is set for a 1 p.m. start.
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