SAINT LEO, Fla. – The Saint Leo men's lacrosse program opened the home finale by honoring seniors: Collin Strait, Gunnar Luckoski, Liam Mueller, Jake Love, Will Toman, Devin Sparks, Justin Taylor, Jordan Williams, Jack Spera, and Matt Shand. The 10 Lions were members of the first team from the State of Florida to represent the South Region in the 2018 NCAA National Championship. The run also captured the South Region Championship title and Sunshine State Conference Regular Season hardware. The following season, the Lions had another great showing as the SSC Tournament Finalists. Seven from the class opened their careers in 2017. Since then, the group has won 65-percent of the 63 games boasting a 41-and-22 record.
 
The Green and Gold dropped a 17-9 decision to the Rollins Tars on Wednesday in University Turf Stadium. The Tars opened the game on a 7-0 run to hold the lead for the game. Beyond the opening run, Saint Leo and Rollins exchanged runs and matched scores in the second and fourth quarters.
 
Gino Riforgiato earned a team-high three points with a pair of goals and an assist. Seven other Lions each broke through to find the back of the Rollins' net. Faceoff specialist, Jordan Williams, went 13-for-29 at the X.
 
Gunnar Luckoski defended the cage with 12 saves in the first 30 minutes of action. Entering after halftime, freshman Chase Strait earned his second career appearance. The Lake Mary, Fla. product earned seven stops.
 
Records
Rollins: 5-2, 3-2 SSC
Saint Leo: 3-5, 3-2 SSC
 
How It Happened
Saint Leo closed the first quarter with its' first goal of the night. Finding their rhythm, the Lions opened up the second quarter with back-to-back goals for a three-goal run, 7-3. The visitors knocked in two more, which was answered by Gino Riforgiato's unassisted goal at 2:09, 9-4. The Tars won the face and slung one more in before the halftime break with a score of 10-4.
 
Riforgiato's second goal brought the gap back down to five at 11-6 with 10:36 left in the third. Despite the efforts, the Tars pieced together another three-goal run to end the third, 14-6. Peyton Tyson, Liam Mueller, and Matt Shand each recorded a goal in the fourth, but it would be matched by the Blue and White for a 17-9 final.
 
Up Next
Next week, Saint Leo will head to Tampa on Wednesday, May 5. The midweek conference contest is set to begin at 8 p.m. Following the rival game, the Lions will wrap up the 2021 season at Florida Tech on Saturday, May 8.  
 
For the latest news, updates, and information on the Saint Leo men's lacrosse team, be sure to 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.
 
Keeping Our Lions Healthy & Safe
Saint Leo University Athletics is keeping our student-athletes healthy and safe by following a number of measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This includes having student-athletes tested or screened on a regular basis, traveling in smaller groups, limiting the number of fans in attendance, avoiding overnight trips, and wearing masks when not competing. These safety standards meet those set by the NCAA Division II and the Sunshine State Conference President's Council. At Saint Leo University, the COVID-19 Incident Command Team also reviews the teams' safety protocol and monitors adherence on a regular basis.