WINTER PARK, Fla. (February 7, 2026) – No. 19 Rollins women's lacrosse battled through a tightly contested showdown with No. 24 Florida Tech on Saturday afternoon, outlasting the Panthers 15-14 in double overtime to secure a dramatic season-opening victory.
The golden goal came off the stick of
Gabby Yerardi late in the second overtime period on a woman-down play, helping the Tars fend off the Panther attack and seal the win.
Rollins saw eight different players find the back of the cage, led by hat tricks from
Delanie Abere and
Molly Mendes.
Fiona Rizzo and
Tess Hovivian each added two goals, while
Carsyn Christel contributed a score in the balanced offensive effort. In the midfield,
Holyn Trautwein controlled four draws while adding two ground balls and a caused turnover.
Sydney Nickel anchored the defensive pressure with a team-high three caused turnovers. Between the pipes,
Alyssa Lentz turned in an outstanding collegiate debut, recording 10 saves to earn the win.
The Tars wasted no time getting on the board, with Abere converting a free-position attempt less than a minute into play. Florida Tech responded immediately, scoring on the ensuing possession before stringing together a defensive stop and clear to take a 2-1 lead. After several traded possessions, Abere struck again to even the contest. The Panthers answered with a woman-up goal following a Rollins green card, but Hovivian responded moments later off a feed from Mendes to send the game into the second quarter tied at three.
Momentum swung toward Rollins in the second frame. Goals from Rizzo and Mendes ignited a scoring run, though Florida Tech countered with two goals of its own. Following a brief offensive stalemate, the Panthers reclaimed the lead before
Kali Gagnon scored on back-to-back possessions to put Rollins back in front. Christel then found the cage in the closing seconds, giving the Tars an 8-6 advantage at halftime.
Florida Tech refused to go quietly, capitalizing on multiple player-up opportunities in the third quarter to pull even.
Chloe Pierini broke the tie with a free-position goal with just under six minutes remaining, but another Rollins card allowed the Panthers to answer and knot the score once more.
Delaney Hudson then connected with Hovivian for the go-ahead strike, and Abere completed her hat trick in the following possession to extend the lead to two. Florida Tech added one late, but Rollins carried an 11-10 edge into the final quarter.
The tension only intensified in the fourth. After Florida Tech surged ahead, Rizzo finished a pass from Pierini to tie the game at 12-12. The Panthers controlled the next two draws and converted on both offensive chances to build a 14-12 lead. Mendes delivered in the clutch, scoring on consecutive possessions to even the score at 14 with just over five minutes to play. Rollins threatened to win it in regulation, including a final opportunity as time expired, but the deadlock held, forcing overtime.
Florida Tech controlled the opening draw of the extra period and quickly generated a chance near the crease, but Lentz came up with a massive save to keep the Tars alive. Rollins produced several quality looks on the other end, only to be denied by strong Panther goalkeeping. Lentz added another stop defensively, sending the contest into a second overtime still scoreless.
After a wide Florida Tech shot opened the period, the Tars were issued a yellow card that set up a Panther free-position attempt. Lentz delivered yet again with a critical save, and
Sunny McQuade corralled the rebound before helping clear the ball into the attacking third. Moments later, Yerardi broke free and buried the deciding goal despite the woman-down disadvantage, lifting Rollins to the 15-14 victory.
Rollins opens the season at 1-0 with the statement win and will return to Cahall-Sandspur Field on Friday, February 13, to host Colorado Mesa at 7 p.m.
