Tampa Opens NCAA Run with Commanding Win Over Colorado Mesa

TAMPA, Fla. – The top-seeded University of Tampa men's lacrosse team opened its NCAA postseason run with a 12–7 victory over No. 13 Colorado Mesa, advancing to the South Region semifinals and extending its perfect season to 19–0.

How It Happened

• Davis Lindsey opened the scoring off a feed from Ryan Kemp with under three minutes left in the first quarter.

• Tommy Ortega beat the buzzer with a goal at the one-second mark to give Tampa a 2–0 lead.

• The Spartans added three unanswered goals in the second quarter to take a 5–0 halftime lead, with Lindsey already completing his hat trick.

• After Mesa scored its first goal early in the third, Tampa responded with two of its own to maintain control.

• Tampa led 8–2 heading into the final frame.

• The Mavericks mounted a brief fourth-quarter push, scoring five of the nine total goals in the period.

• The Spartans closed strong, with four goals in the final 10 minutes to secure the 12–7 win.

• Tampa dominated the faceoff X, winning 16 of 22 draws, while collecting 39 ground balls and forcing 17 turnovers.

Spartan Performances

• Zack Friend led all scorers with four goals and one assist, including two clutch goals in the fourth quarter.

• Lindsey tallied three goals and two assists, recording his eighth hat trick of the season.

• Jackson Bashaw added three goals, increasing his SSC-leading total to 45.

• Connor McDonough broke up Mesa's fourth-quarter surge with a key goal.

• USILA Team of the Week selection Michael Flores won 15 of 21 faceoffs and scooped six ground balls.

• Connor Theriault made 14 saves on 21 shots to improve to 19–0 in goal.

Up Next: The Spartans will face No. 6 Wingate in the NCAA South Region semifinal on Sunday, May 11, at 1 p.m., looking to reach the national quarterfinals with their 20th consecutive win.