WINTER PARK, Fla. – The Florida Tech men's lacrosse team defeated No. 17 Rollins on Wednesday, Apr. 1 with another outstanding showing by the Tech defense.
 
GAME INFORMATION 
Score: No. 13 Florida Tech 11 | No. 17 Rollins
Records: No. 13 Florida Tech 8-2 (3-0 SSC) | No. 17 Rollins 5-5 (1-2 SSC)
Location: Cahill-Sandspur Field | Melbourne, Florida 
 
GAME NOTES
FIRST QUARTER

• Rollins was able to jar the ball loose from the Panthers as they induced five Tech turnovers within the first six minutes of the game. 
• During that stretch, the Panthers only allowed two shots. Neither scored as Jax Francisco picked up his first save.
• Brooks van Esselstyn scored the first goal of the game with 7:47 on the clock off an assist by Thomas Strong.
• A Rollins turnover then ground ball pick up by Steve Ulrichs, saw Ulrichs on attack in transition. He picked up the assist on Ryan Chancer's goal at the 5:13 mark.
• Carter Batt won the ensuing faceoff which led to another Panther goal, this time by Landon Addleman.
• Robert McNamara and Brooks van Esselstyn both scored before the quarter was over as the Panthers were all over the Tars, 5-0.

SECOND QUARTER

• Rollins would finally crack the scoreboard within the first 30 seconds of the second quarter.
• After an unnecessary roughness call against Florida Tech, the Panther defense bared down as John Kundrat forced a Rollins turnover. Tech would go down the other end as Thomas Strong scored the man-down goal.
• Brooks van Esselstyn would earn the hat trick as he found the back of the net with five minutes remaining.
• Jax Francisco saved back-to-back shots from the Tars at the 2:10 and 1:23 marks.
• Rollins would sneak a goal in with 13 seconds left in the half.
• Steve Ulrichs caused three Rollins turnovers in the period while the Panthers totaled seven in the quarter.

THIRD QUARTER

• Ryan Chancer planted a shot and scored three minutes into the second half.
• Jax Francisco kept the goalie clinic going with consecutive saves with 9:55 and 8:59 on the clock.
• Tech received a cross-check penalty at 8:53. FT survived a slew of Rollins shots including two more saves by Francisco. The Tars would break through at 7:57 with their third goal of the game.
• Rollins fired three shots on the Tech goal at the four-minute mark, but Francisco made easy work of all three with three saves.
• The Tars broke through again with three minutes left in the third.
• Francisco tallied eight saves in the quarter.

FOURTH QUARTER

• The Tars would continue to claw their way back into the game with back-to-back goals to shrink the Tech lead to three.
• The Panthers scored and ended the Rollins run as Joe Coveleski scored off an assist by Parker Kane.
• Francisco would continue to save shots by the Tars with back-to-back saves at the 3:41 and 3:37 marks as well as at 1:41.
• Tech would notch one last goal with seven seconds left as Rollins had an empty net trying to force a turnover.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE

• Jax Francisco notched a career-high 20 saves against the Tars. This is the second most saves in a game in program history and the most in a road game.
• Brooks van Esselstyn earned the hat trick while Ryan Chancer and Thomas Strong had multi-goal efforts. Van Esselstyn also picked up three ground balls.
• Steve Ulrichs forced three more turnovers.
• Francisco, Ulrichs, van Esselstyn, Henry and Gmeiner had multiple ground balls.

COACHES CORNER
"We aim to be a tough out every time we hit the field," said Head Coach Brad MacArthur. "We started well offensively and got ourselves a lead. Again the consistency we're aiming for eluded us a bit, but our defense got stops when we needed, and our offense put in timely goals at the end." 
 
UP NEXT
The Panthers will return home to Rick Stottler Field as they welcome in No. 14 Saint Leo on Saturday, Apr. 4. Tech will celebrate Senior Day after the game.