WINTER PARK, Fla. (April 1, 2026) – No. 14 Rollins women's lacrosse fell to No. 6 Tampa, 18-3, on Wednesday evening at Cahall-Sandspur Field.
Molly Mendes,
Ashley Thurston, and
Sydney Nickel each found the back of the cage for the Tars. Mendes also led the team in the draw circle with three draw controls. Defensively, Thurston recorded a team-high three caused turnovers to go along with two ground balls, while
Alyssa Lentz posted nine saves and collected three ground balls in goal.
Tampa struck first, but Rollins responded quickly as Nickel converted a free-position opportunity to even the score. Moments later, Lentz came up with a save that led to Mendes finishing in transition to give the Tars a 2-1 advantage.
The Spartans answered shortly after to tie the game and regained the lead with a late goal in the opening quarter, taking a 3-2 edge into the second.
Tampa extended its advantage early in the second with two quick goals. Rollins answered off another defensive stop, as Thurston pushed forward and found the back of the net to cut the deficit to 5-3. Both defenses settled in over the next several minutes before the Spartans added a late goal to take a 6-3 lead into halftime.
Tampa carried that momentum into the second half. The Spartans opened the third quarter with a goal and followed with a four-goal run to create separation. Additional scores pushed the lead further as Rollins was unable to generate sustained offensive opportunities.
The fourth quarter followed a similar pattern, with Tampa continuing to add to its advantage and ultimately closing out the 18-3 victory.
Rollins falls to 9-4 overall and 0-3 in Sunshine State Conference play, while Tampa improves to 8-2 (2-1 SSC). The Tars return to action Saturday, April 4, traveling to Melbourne to face No. 19 Florida Tech at 7 p.m.
