WINTER PARK, Fla. -- The Saint Leo men's lacrosse team picked up its first Sunshine State (SSC) conference win at Rollins College Saturday. The Lions anchored the Tars 12-9, scoring two goals in the final 30 seconds of the game.
Junior Chad Marino broke a 9-9 deadlock and sparked a 3-0 run to lift the Lions team to its first SSC victory of the season. Marino scored with 6:12 left in the game and halted a Rollins four-point swing that tied the game 9-9. In the final stretch, Dave Moore made a crucial save and gave the Lions possession before Dylan Yonts dished out back-to-back assists to Jake Gilmour and Eric Gendron to seal the 12-9 victory.
Yonts led the Lions offensive effort and finished with six points (3 goals, 3 assists) for his seventh hat trick of the season, first since March 24 against Adams State. Marino (2 goals, 2 assists) and Gilmour (3 goals, 1 assist) each added four points, while Matt Weller, Kevin Hutchinson and Anthony Visintin added one goal apiece. Visintin also dished out one assist.
Saint Leo jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first two minutes of the contest, but the scoring evened out for a 4-2 first quarter advantage. In the second quarter, the Lions scored four more goals, two by Yonts for a 8-5 halftime advantage. The third period proved to be a defensive juggernaut. Rollins goalie made four saves in 15 minutes, and the Tars held Saint Leo to one goal, its lowest quarter score in three games.
The Tars crept back into the contest and tied the game at 9-9 with 7:04 left in the game. Marino scored, but the Rollins offense kept the pressure on, but Gilmour and Gendron crushed any hopes of a Tars comeback in the final minute of the game.
Dave Moore made nine saves in 60 minutes between the posts. His nine saves came in 18 shots on goal faced.
The Lions SSC Tournament hopes remain alive. They return to action Saturday, April 18 in a must win SSC match-up at Lynn. Saint Leo will face-off in its final regular season game at 7:00 pm.
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.
