SAINT LEO, Fla. -- The Saint Leo men's lacrosse team outscored no. 9 Tampa 5-4 in the final two periods of Saturday's contest, but it wasn't enough for the Lions to overcome a 6-4 halftime deficit at University Turf Stadium. Chad Marino led all scorers with a career high five goals, including three in the second half.
Junior goalie Dave Moore turned in his second 17-save performance, tying his career high and picked up four ground balls. The Florida native turned in a sensational performance between the posts, denying 17 of of the Spartans 27 shots on goal for a .629 save percentage.
Marino notched his second-consecutive hat trick Saturday, his third of the season while Eric Gendron, Dylan Yonts, Jake Gilmour and Jay Calcagno each added one goal. Gilmore extended his scoring streak to 11 games, while Yonts has scored in each of the team's last nine games.
The Lions were the first to score in the opening minutes of the game, but Tampa strung together three goals and ended the first period with a 3-1 advantage. Saint Leo outshot the Spartans 12-10 in the second quarter and scored three goals.
Tampa entered the third period with a 6-4 lead, and outscored the Lions 3-2 in the third period for a 9-6 edge. Chad Marino scored in the final three seconds of the third quarter and sparked a Lions run.
The fourth quarter was all Green and Gold. The Lions went to work and a 3-0 streak thrust Saint Leo within one point. Tampa held a 9-8 advantage and scored with 6:10 to play in the game. Chad Marino scored just over a minute later, and the Saint Leo defense held the Spartans to three shots in the final five minutes of action. The Lions took several almost shots, but time ran out and no. 9 Tampa remained unscathed in conference action.
Saint Leo held its nationally ranked opponent to 10 points and became the third team to hold the Spartans to 10 or fewer points this season. No. 1 Limestone held Tampa to seven points on Feb. 14 and Ithaca kept the Spartans at nine points on Mar. 10. Saint Leo also matched the lowest scoring margin for the Spartans this season in the one-point loss.
Saint Leo returns to University Turf Stadium one final time in 2015 Saturday, April 4th at 7:00 pm. The Lions will recognize their senior class before a Sunshine State match-up with Florida Southern.
For the latest news, updates, and information on the Saint Leo men's lacrosse team, visit SaintLeoLions.com. Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Lions news by following Saint Leo Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
