WINTER PARK, Fla. (April 30, 2023) – The third-ranked Rollins men's lacrosse team continued to add to its trophy case on Sunday, downing Florida Southern 13-7 in the Sunshine State Conference Tournament Championship game in Winter Park. The Tars are now 15-1 on the season and will advance to the NCAA II Tournament in May, while the Mocs fall to 13-5 and will await their postseason fate, with hopes of receiving an at-large bid to the tournament.
Mikey Berkman, who was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, tallied five points on three goals and two assists in addition to picking up a pair of ground balls.
Justin White matched Berkman with an identical three goals and two assists, while
Grant Hansen, who was named to the All-Tournament Team, posted three goals and a pair of ground balls.
Thomas Garvin, another All-Tournament Team selection, was 12-of-21 in faceoffs and collected five ground balls, while
Justin Isenhour, who was also an All-Tournament Team selection, racked up five ground balls, three caused turnovers, and his first goal of the season. Shahé Katchadurian, the Tars' final All-Tournament Team selection, stopped 12 of the 19 shots he faced while also recording two ground balls and a caused turnover.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
First Quarter
- Hansen got the Tars on the board first with a goal just under five minutes into the game.
- Logan Myers made it 2-0 at the 6:54 mark, which is where things stood going to the final minute of the quarter.
- In the final minute, Florida Southern put home a pair of goals, while Jack Johnstone netted one for Rollins, giving the home team a 3-2 lead after 15 minutes.
Second Quarter
- Berkman opened the scoring in the second quarter, but FSC answered back just over two minutes later to keep it a one-goal game.
- The Tars then went on a 6-0 run, scoring five more times in the second period, including two goals from White and one from Berkman, Hansen, and Isenhour, as Rollins went into halftime leading 9-3.
Third Quarter
- White completed his hat trick and capped the 6-0 run with the opening goal of the third, before the Mocs rallied to score twice in the final six minutes, cutting the lead to 10-5 after 45 minutes of play.
Fourth Quarter
- FSC scored first in the fourth to make it 10-6, but Berkman and Hansen helped put the game away with goals in the final five minutes, giving the Tars a commanding 12-6 lead with 3:22 to go.
- The Mocs got one back and Ian Dean found the net for Rollins in the final 3:12 as the Tars cruised to a 13-7 win and their first-ever conference tournament title.
UP NEXT:
The Tars will now wait until the NCAA II Men's Lacrosse Championship bracket is announced on Sunday, May 7, to find out their seeding and opponent information. Rollins is currently ranked No. 1 in the South Region, and if the Tars receive the first or second seed in the South Region, they would receive a first-round bye and would be eligible to host a quarterfinal round game on Sunday, May 14 at 1 p.m. against the winner of one of the two first round games.
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