The Florida Southern College men’s lacrosse team began the 2024 season with a thrilling 8-7 victory over third-ranked Wingate University. Despite trailing 5-0 in the first 15 minutes, the Moccasins staged a comeback through solid defense and timely offense, eventually securing the lead at 8-7 with just over three minutes left.
The result comes as no surprise to those close to the program who have seen Coach Ward building towards moments like these for years:
We have been talking about the next play mentality for a couple of seasons here, this team never wavered, they just kept digging in and winning small moments within the game. We stuck to our plan and the result ended in our favor, super proud of our team for staying in the fight and never quitting.
~FSC Head Coach Marty Ward
Junior Matt Flammenspeck led the offensive charge, scoring two goals and providing an assist. Senior Brendan Glasser and sophomore Nolan Tighe contributed two points each, with Glasser netting two goals and Tighe supplying two crucial assists. Freshman Maddux Walton shined in his debut by scoring the game-winning goal in the closing minutes.
Defensively, Nick Shannon stood out with three caused turnovers, including a pivotal one in the final moments to seal the victory. Michael Simone, after a challenging start, displayed an outstanding performance in the cage.
Sophomore Jacob Czyz excelled at the face-off, winning 12-of-18 against the Bulldogs.
Wingate dominated the first quarter, outscoring the Mocs 5-0, but Florida Southern came back aggressively in the second. The Mocs successfully capitalized on man-up opportunities, narrowing the deficit to 5-2 by halftime. The teams traded goals in the second half, with the score tied at 7-7 in the closing minutes. Walton’s debut goal secured the win for Florida Southern.
The Mocs will now prepare for their home opener against the University of Montevallo on February 10.
To have your team or individual performance highlighted this season make sure to email nzoroya@fivestarapp.com with the details!
