More than 2,000 fans filled Pepin Stadium to witness UT defeat the Florida Southern Mocs. | Samantha Cossum/ The Minaret
Last Friday night, the University of Tampa’s lacrosse team made history. They opened against conference rival Florida Southern in the first lacrosse game the school had ever seen. They did not disappoint, winning 7-4.
Leading up to the game, the lacrosse team had been forming the camaraderie on and off the field that helped them become a solid unit that plays as a team. The week before their home opener against Florida Southern they had an exhibition game against Florida State. They won that game, too.
“Florida State was a big test,” Head Coach Rory Whipple said. “They were a club team last year and ranked No. 8 in the country. We had solid defense against them throughout, and we won it as a team.” The Florida State game was a healthy warm-up for the UT men. They saw the game as a massive opportunity to get sufficiently prepared and test their chemistry before the official games of the seasons started.
“I think it was a great win. We showed great improvement from the fall and capitalized on a great percentage of our chances,” sophomore Mike Tyrell said before the game. “We got a chance to work on some things and I think we should be firing on all cylinders for the home opener.”
Fans came in droves, totaling over 2,100 in attendance. It was one of the most enthusiastic crowds that Polly & Art Pepin Stadium has seen in a long time. “It was an awesome experience,” junior spectator Mike Primavera said. “It was packed out here tonight. It was a lot of fun to watch. I’m glad they won it for us.”
Initially, the Spartans got off to a slow start. They found themselves down after the first quarter, 2-0. They could have capitalized on the two shots that they had early, but one would be hard pressed to think the slow start was anything but inaugural game jitters.
The second quarter began differently, though. The defense came together and the ‘long-poles’, as they’re called in lacrosse lingo, held strong and didn’t let the FS Moccasins score again in the first half. Later on, with 9:01 remaining in the second quarter, junior A.J. DeSimone scored the first UT lacrosse goal in the team’s history.
“I’m honored to have scored the first goal in UT Lacrosse history,” DeSimone said. “It was an unbelievable feeling, but that was just a stepping stone towards the goals we have set as a team for the rest of the season.” The rest of the second quarter was filled with back and forth possession. The defense held strong and the Spartans went into the locker room behind 2-1.
The third quarter consisted of the same give and take. But five minutes into the second half, junior Kevin Castle tied the game at two, when he capitalized on a big turnover from the Florida Southern defense. With ever-increasing offensive pressure, the Spartans recorded ten shots on goal in the third quarter.
With three seconds remaining in the third quarter, freshman Jonathan Franzese broke the tie with a very athletic shot in front of the crease. In the fourth quarter, senior Greg Khandazian scored seven seconds in, and Franzese followed that with his second goal to give the Spartans a 5-2 lead. After what seemed to be a low-scoring game, Tampa was able to score three goals in under two minutes. Florida Southern scored again twice, to shrink the Spartan lead to 5-4, but Castle put another one away and Joel McGowan scored the seventh Spartan goal. The score never changed after that. The Spartans had won their inaugural game.
“We would have practice for two and a half hours then a film session for another hour. We listened to everything [Whipple] has taught us and brought it out on the field Friday night,” Franzese said. “I think we made the whole school into believers – we are here to do big things this season.”
The hard work has paid off. The crowd, full of believers of the school’s newest athletic addition, was ecstatic. The home fans were cheering 15 minutes after the final whistle, and they applauded the victorious Spartans off the field.
“We are extremely thankful for all the support that we have been getting from the University and the community,” DeSimone said. Whipple also remarked on the great show of support from the student body, and was appreciative of all the support.
“There was a huge turnout tonight,” Whipple said. “And we’re all grateful for it. We had a tough opponent and we sealed the deal when it got close.” After the game, players crowded around the locker room and signed autographs commemorating the team’s first contest. Spirits were high amongst the players, and they were still riding adrenaline in their celebration.
“I’m just pumped to be part of a team that wants to win,” junior Joe Fiorucci said. “It was a great win.” In the end, both teams recorded 22 shots on goal, 12 on target for Florida Southern and 9 on target for the Spartans. Khandazian took every faceoff for the Spartans, and ended the night above .500 in that category. However, it was the collective defensive effort that was the most highly praised part of the team.
“We had a slow start,” Whipple said after the game. “But our defense played them tight and held strong.”
Greg Spracklin can be reached at gspracklin@spartans.ut.edu.
