WATCH: No. 5 Florida Tech Women’s Lacrosse Set to Host No.1 Ranked Florida Southern on Saturday

By  //  March 21, 2018

TEAM IS ASKING FANS TO PACK THE STANDS

SPACE COAST DAILT TV: The Florida Tech Panthers women’s lacrosse team is ranked No. 5 in the country and this Saturday will host SSC foe and the top-ranked Florida Southern Mocassins at Panthers Stadium. Space Coast Daily’s Alan Zlotorzynski spoke with head coach Corrine Desrosiers and two of her team’s captains about the big game and how FIT will topple the Mocs for the first time (0-6) in program history.


BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA– The 5th-ranked Florida Tech women’s lacrosse team (9-0) returns to the friendly confines of Panther Stadium on Saturday, Mar. 24, for its Sunshine State Conference opener, when it welcomes No. 1 Florida Southern (9-0) to Melbourne.

Game time is slated for 4 p.m. and will be broadcasted live on the SSC Digital Network.

Saturday’s game is a White Out for Florida Tech. Fans are encouraged to wear white to the game and support the Panthers. There will also be raffles and other fun prizes offered at the game.

ABOUT THE MATCHUP

Saturday’s contest marks the seventh matchup in the series history between the Panthers and Moccasins with FSC winning the previous six meetings. The conference foes met three times during the 2017 season with the Mocs defeating the Panthers in all three matchups, including in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Tournament.

All three games took place at FSC’s Bryant Stadium in Lakeland, Florida.

Saturday’s contest is the first time the teams have faced off in a Top-5 matchup. It is also the first Top-5 battle in Florida Tech program history.

The 5th-ranked Florida Tech women’s lacrosse team (9-0) returns to the friendly confines of Panther Stadium on Saturday, Mar. 24, for its Sunshine State Conference opener, when it welcomes No. 1 Florida Southern (9-0) to Melbourne. (Image by Florida Tech Sports)

ABOUT THE PANTHERS

  • Florida Tech is ranked No. 5 in the nation in both the IWLCA Coaches Poll and the Nike/US Lacrosse Poll. It is the highest the Panthers have ever been ranked in program history.
  • The Panthers have already defeated five ranked opponents in their first nine games this season, in No. 17 Molloy, No. 13 Limestone, No. 7 Queens, No. 19 Pace and No. 23 McKendree.
  • FIT has won 15 straight games on its home turf at Panther Stadium, dating back to a 12-15 loss to No. 5 Lindenwood in the Panthers’ 2017 season opener. Florida Tech is 27-11 all-time in games played at Panther Stadium.
  • Florida Tech is one of the more balanced scoring teams in the nation with four players having at least 20 goals this season.
  • Sara Grenier, the program’s all-time leader in points (230), paces the FIT offense with 32 goals this season.
  • Lauren Tybor and Sam Schiano boast 27 goals, while Caroline Dunleavy has 20 goals. Dunleavy, who ranks second all-time in program history with 211 points, currently leads the SSC with 20 assists.
  • Schiano leads the SSC with 36 ground balls and 28 caused turnovers and is tied with Tybor for third overall in the league with 51 draw controls. Olivia Going ranks second on the team with 32 ground balls and Brittney Embree is second in caused turnovers with 20.
  • Stephanie Stuart is 9-0 between the pipes for FIT and ranks second in the conference in saves (57) and fourth in saves percentage (.493).
  • The Panthers rank second in the SSC, and seventh in the nation, in scoring offense at 18.44 goals per game. FIT is sixth in the nation in shots on goal per game at 30.33.
  • Florida Tech leads the nation with 18.22 caused turnovers per game, while the Panthers top the SSC, and rank 10th nationally, in ground balls per game with 27.56. The Crimson and Gray are third in the league in draw controls with 138.
Florida Tech’s Sam Schiano has been named the Sunshine State Conference’s Women’s Lacrosse Defensive Player of the Week for Mar. 12-18. (FIT Image)
Florida Tech’s Sam Schiano Named SSC Lacrosse Defensive Player of the WeekRelated Story:
Florida Tech’s Sam Schiano Named SSC Lacrosse Defensive Player of the Week

ABOUT THE MOCCASINS

  • Florida Southern, who is ranked No. 1 in Division II in both the IWLCA Coaches Poll and the Nike/US Lacrosse Poll, is the three-time defending SSC Champion and 2017 national runner-up. FSC won the program’s first national title in 2016.
  • The Mocs have beaten four ranked opponents this season, in No. 1 Adelphi, No. 10 Queens, No. 9 Mercy and No. 23 McKendree. All four wins were at home.
  • FSC has played just one road game in 2018, defeating Catawba 24-6 on Feb. 10 in Salisbury, North Carolina.
  • Florida Southern has seven players with at least 10 goals this season. Emily Santoli, the two-time reigning Division II Player of the Year and Midfielder of the Year, leads the Mocs offense with 23 goals. Meghan O’Brien has 14 goals, while Dani Bursinger and Marina Jozokos boast 13 goals apiece. Julia Couch leads the Mocs with 15 assists and O’Brien has 13 this season.
  • Jozokos has collected the most ground balls for the Mocs with 21, while Santoli (34) and Bursinger (28) lead the team in draw controls. Sam Keesey has recorded the most caused turnovers with 11. FSC goalkeeper Mary Gately ranks seventh in the SSC in both saves (27) and saves percentage (.422).
  • The Mocs rank first in the league in scoring offense (19.67), scoring defense (7.56) and shots on goal per game (30.56). Florida Southern also leads the SSC in draw controls at 175 and is third in caused turnovers with 99 in its first nine games.

ABOVE VIDEO: Florida Tech head women’s lacrosse coach, Corinne Desrosiers, shares her thoughts on her team back in January as they got set to begin the upcoming season.

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