Birch, Mercaldo, and Poma Sweep SSC Player of the Week Honors

TAMPA, Fla. - The University of Tampa men's lacrosse team sweeps player of the week honors as announced by the Sunshine State Conference Monday afternoon. Canyon Birch was named SSC Offensive Player of the Week after his performance versus Wingate while teammate Alex Poma was awarded Specialist of the Week for the third time in his career and the second time this season. Luca Mercaldo picked up his first Defensive Player of the Week honors after his stellar performance in net this past Saturday.

Birch gathers Offensive Player of the Week by leading Tampa to an 11-10 double overtime victory against No. 6 Wingate. The Brielle, New Jersey native scored six goals for the Spartans, including the game-winner in double overtime. Birch led all players in goals and points; he also caused a turnover in the win. His six goals came on 16 total shots and 11 shots on goal.

Mercaldo picks up Defensive Player of the Week following his performance on the road in a neutral site double overtime victory against No. 6 Wingate (11-10). The Baltimore native led Tampa to a win following 11 saves and 10 goals allowed in net. Mercaldo faced 27 total shots in the match during his 65+ minutes in net and collected three groundballs.

Poma earns Specialist of the Week for the second time in 2024 after overwhelming the competition in Tampa's 11-10 double overtime, neutral site victory against No. 6 Wingate (11-10). The grad student from Marietta, Georgia, won 20-of-26 face-offs in the win for a .769 winning percentage. Poma also gave the Spartans a game-high 12 groundballs and an assist in the win. This week's accolade is the third of his career.