The Florida Tech women’s lacrosse team closed their 2022 season on a high note Saturday, defeating the 10th-ranked Rollins College Tars 13-10 at Florida Tech Panther Stadium.

The Panthers (9-5, 2-5 SSC) got four goals and an assist from Kayla Minton, while Rachel Johnson netted a hat trick to go with an assist. Caroline MacLeod and Charlotte Hardie each had two goals, while Madison Savje and Jennifer Boyle each scored once.

The offense helped Kellen Lucchesi pick up the win in the net for the Panthers, as she came up with nine saves on Rollins’ 19 shots on goal.

Abigail DeGroat led the Tars with four goals and Taylor Kienle had two. Rollins’ leading scorer Caroline Gastonguay registered her 45th goal in this game, but it was her only tally of the contest.

It took 16 seconds for Savje to get the Panthers started and MacLeod followed that up to make it 2-0. Liz Fahey cut the lead in half, before the end of the first quarter. 

Minton’s first of the day made it 3-1 as she scored a man-down goal on a helper from Kailee O’Brien to give the Panthers a 3-1 lead. DeGroat scored twice in 46 seconds to knot the game at three before Abigail Cawley gave the Tars a 4-3 lead.

Minton scored on the man-up and Boyle scored moments later to put the Panthers back in front 5-4. Rollins scored the last three goals of the first half, including Kienle’s goal with less than two seconds left. That gave the Tars a 7-5 lead at halftime.

The game turned after the break as the Panthers went on a six-goal run. Minton got her hat trick goal and followed that up with an assist on Hardie’s goal, tying the game at seven. Johnson then scored twice in 66 seconds to make it 9-7 and Minton’s fourth of the day was followed by MacLeod’s second, giving the Panthers an 11-7 lead.

Kienle stopped the bleeding with her second of the day, closing the gap to 11-8 at the end of the third quarter. The Panthers outscored the Tars 7-1 in the stanza.

Johnson’s hat trick goal came with 12:31 left and the game went scoreless until Hardie found the back of the net with 1:56 left to put the Panthers up 13-8. DeGroat scored 10 seconds later and she capped the day with her final score, coming with less than one second left, putting the final deficit at three.

For more info: Rollins @ Florida Tech Box Score

The nine wins are the most for the Panthers since 2018. We wish the departing seniors the best of luck.