SAINT LEO, Fla. – The Florida Tech women's lacrosse team went toe to toe with the one of the nation's best teams away from home but were ultimately done an 8-0 run over an eight-minute span in the third quarter as the Panthers fell to the Lions, 17-12, on Wednesday, Apr. 1.
GAME INFORMATION
Score: No. 19 Florida Tech 12 | No. 10 Saint Leo 17
Records: No. 19 Florida Tech 4-8 (1-2 SSC) | No. 10 Saint Leo 10-3 (2-1 SSC)
Location: University Turf Stadium | Saint Leo, Florida
GAME NOTES
FIRST QUARTER
- After winning the opening draw, Clare McGuire went to her right, drove behind the net, wrapped around beat the goalie to give Tech the lead after just 27 seconds.
- Tech would add to their just over two minutes later thanks to a cutting, solo effort from Sophia Scichilone.
- The Lions got on the board for the first time at 11:48.
- Isa Brown's free position goal with 8:57 left in the opening period restored the Panther lead to two.
- Saint Leo were able to cash in off a loose ball scramble just under 90 seconds later and tied it at 5:45 on their first free position attempt.
- The Lions took their first lead of the game just over a minute later through another free position goal.
- With 26 seconds remaining in the quarter, Gillian Craig took a Scichilone feed, drove in from the left and beat the goalie low to tie the game.
SECOND QUARTER
- Saint Leo re-took the lead 50 seconds into the second frame with a woman-up goal.
- Bridget Robinson's first two saves came at a crucial time as they came from close range and with the Panthers a woman down just after the 13-minute mark to keep the margin at one.
- Robinson made another big stop two minutes later with Tech once again a woman down.
- On exactly the nine-minute mark, Robinson stopped a free position attempt for Saint Leo and sprung a counter attack that eventually led to Craig's second goal of the game to bring the Crimson and Gray level.
- The Lions took the lead at 6:06 with the woman up on a sequence where they flooded the cage with multiple attackers.
- Florida Tech needed only a little over a minute to even the proceedings again, thanks to McGuire converting high and to the left on the free position.
- Sofie Bender re-installed the Panther lead at 3:33 with a wraparound effort.
- SLU knotted the game at 7, with 1:16 remaining through a second chance effort.
THIRD QUARTER
- Bender opened the second half scoring two and a half minutes in thanks to great footwork to lose her defender twice before firing a low shot to the goalie's right.
- Phoebe Hurt got her name on the scoresheet at 9:16 with a solo effort, high-to-low shot.
- The Lions needed just 11 seconds to respond, working quickly with a couple of passes to find the back of the net after winning the draw.
- Saint Leo had a chance to equalize less than a minute later through a free position attempt but Robinson stopped the low shot to keep the Panthers in front.
- A Lions goal through traffic with 6:43 remaining evened the game at nine and then took the lead at 5:08.
- SLU struck once again at 4:25 to take a two-goal advantage.
- Robinson would come up with another stop on a free position attempt at 3:22 but Florida Tech were unable to complete the clearance and a turnover led to a Lions goal 25 seconds later.
- Saint Leo continued their run at 2:12 with a woman-up goal and then added another through the free position at 1:29.
- Another woman-up opportunity ended in another Lions score 27 seconds later, completing an 8-0 run that last a total of 8:03.
- McGuire broke the Panthers' drought on a free position goal with seven seconds remaining in the quarter and a woman down.
FOURTH QUARTER
- Robinson made a stop in the first two and a half minutes of the final frame while dealing with heavy traffic.
- The Crimson and Gray made that save count as Haley Rosa would score a net-front goal on their next possession to bring Tech within 15-11 with 11:59 to go.
- Saint Leo won the ensuing draw and needed less than 30 seconds to respond on a high shot and would finish their scoring for the day at 9:33.
- Bender earned hat trick with 5:59 remaining by scoring from close range after taking a feed from Abby Cudzilo.
NOTABLE PANTHERS
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
- Florida Tech is now 4-8 all-time against Saint Leo, including 2-5 in games on the road.
- Gillian Craig's two goals on the afternoon extended her multi-goal game streak to 20 straight and has scored at least once in 31 consecutive games dating back to February 6, 2024.
UP NEXT
The Panthers return to Rick Stottler Field on Saturday, Apr. 4 when they host No. 14 Rollins at 7:00 P.M. EDT.
