Spartans Engineer 13-9 Win Over MIT
TAMPA, Fla. -Trevor Calleja went 19-for-24 on faceoffs, picked up 13 ground balls and scored his first goal of the season to help lift the University of Tampa men's lacrosse team to a 13-9 win over MIT, Tuesday night at Pepin Stadium. With the win Tampa improves to 7-4, while MIT falls to 1-4.
Both teams had strong defensive performances to start the game, limiting scoring opportunities. Tampa struck first as Kyle Hemrick intercepted a Christopher Rullan pass and found Joey McMahan in transition for a goal to give the Spartans a 1-0 lead. Just under a minute left in the quarter, Chris Cook netted a goal for the Engineers to even the score 1-1.
Tampa came out firing in the second quarter out shooting MIT 13-3. Two minutes into the quarter Joel McGowan placed a shot into the lower left corner of the cage to put the Spartans on top 2-1. Calleja won the ensuing faceoff and on that possession Andrew Smith connected with Hemrick for a goal. Later in the quarter, Smith picked up the rebound off a McMahan shot and netted his ninth goal of the season. MIT scored before the half to cut the lead to 4-2.
Brian Patton's one-timer got the scoring started in the third quarter, giving Tampa a 5-2 lead. The Engineers scored three of the next four goals to cut the lead to 6-5 with 4:58 remaining. Calleja won the ensuing faceoff, picked up the ground ball, and scored a man-down goal. After the teams traded goals, Matt Bilak found Hemrick in front of the cage for the goal to put the Spartans ahead 9-6. Luke Verdi's goal cut the lead to 9-7 after the third quarter.
Patton and Ryan Becker scored back-to-back goals to start the fourth quarter. After a MIT goal, Jonathan Franzese found Connor Kennedy for the goal with 3:42 left. Both teams scored one more time for the 13-9 final.
Hemrick, Becker, McGowan, and Patton each netted a pair of goals in the game. Eric Dance picked up six ground balls, while Marty Heyn tallied four caused turnovers.
The Spartans will return to action Saturday when they travel to North Carolina to face Lenoir-Rhyne in a Deep South Conference match-up. Game time will be 1 p.m.
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