Florida Tech opened the 2022 lacrosse season on Saturday with a regional matchup against Rollins at the Olin Complex. Interim head coach Zach Wynne saw his Panthers play a seesaw game throughout, with the Tars hanging on for a 10-9 win.

Graduate student John Hulsman got the start in the net for the Panthers, making eight saves.

Sophomore Collin Stewart led the Panthers scoring attack with three goals and an assist. Justin Williams had two goals and two assists, while Chandler Hake had two assists. Ben Claffee ended the day with two assists as well.

Rollins had four guys with two goals each, including Justin White, Grant Hansen, Finn Jent, and Marshall Ellison.

Things started well for the home team with Hake taking a pass from Williams and depositing it in the net just 1:07 into the contest. That score held until Finn got his first of the day, beating Hulsman, making it 1-1 with 5:19 left.

Freshman Jakob Terpak would put the Panthers up one when he scored with nine seconds left in the first quarter, giving the Panthers a 2-1 lead. Florida Tech got on the board quickly in the second quarter with a goal off the stick of Williams. Claffee got the assist on that one and Tech was up 3-1.

It took Rollins just 37 seconds to get one back, with Hasen getting the tally. The Tars would strike again with 10:57 to go, tying the game 3-3. Jett would get another as Rollins scored their third in a row, and led 4-3 with 7:59 to go. White would add one more, putting his squad up 5-3.

Stewart and White would trade goals in a span of 37 seconds and it was a 6-4 game with 4:59 left in the half. The goal by Stewart was a beauty, as he fired the shot as he was going to the ground, from an almost impossible angle 

Goals by Stewart and Hake in the final three minutes tied the game 6-6 at the half.

There was another early goal in the third quarter as Hansen scored 36 seconds in on the man-up. That gave Rollins the 7-6 lead. That was followed later by an Ellison tally, making it 8-6.

Sam Sidari made it 8-7 as he dialed one up from 25-30 yards out with 2:25 left in the third, making it an 8-7 game.

Stewart took just 41 seconds to tie the game at eight in the fourth quarter, giving him the first hat trick of the season. Williams would give the Panthers a 9-8 lead with 14:19 left, but the Panthers would be flagged twice with 10:17 to go.

The first penalty was for pushing and the second for tripping. They were able to kill the first one, but a goal by Bailey Pringle tied the game at nine with 9:21 to go. It took 53 seconds for Rollins to take the lead, on a goal by Ellison.

The Tars were hit with a too many men penalty in the final 1:33 but Florida Tech’s last best chance was a shot by Griffin Bowie that was blocked with 56 seconds left.

For more info: Rollins @ Florida Tech Box Score

Florida Tech will be on the road next Saturday, February 12 against ninth-ranked Belmont Abbey. That game will get underway at 1:00 p.m.