LAKELAND, Fla. – The Saint Leo men's lacrosse returned to its winning ways at Florida Southern Thursday afternoon but not without some good old fashion overtime drama. Saint Leo won the faceoff but was immediately caused to turn it over. The Mocs' shot ricocheted off the pipe, rebounding all way to near the middle of the field. Jack Spera picked it up and connected with Justin Williams who set up Guy Bistrow's game-winner in a 12-11 overtime decision.
 
Luckoski had a tremendous day protecting the Lions' net. The senior goalkeeper collected 12 saves in 60 minutes of work.
 
Tyler Eames paced the Saint Leo offense with five points, scoring four and assisting one. The junior attacker doubled his season goal count to eight, currently sitting at eight, while he leads the team with 13 points. Bistrow put away a pair of goals and picked up three ground balls.
 
Will Toman had a standout defensive day picking up a team-high five ground balls and causing a turnover.
 
Records
Florida Southern: 1-3, 1-2 SSC
Saint Leo: 2-2, 2-1 SSC
 
How it Happened
The Lions' opening goal was answered and raised by one by the Mocs. The Green and Gold recaptured the lead dishing out two goals to close the first, 3-2. Eames scored the first and third goals for Saint Leo while assisting Landon Spangenberg's goal in between his own.
 
The script flipped early in the second. Florida Southern created its' own momentum scoring three consecutive goals for a two-goal lead, 5-3. Gino Riforgiato put a halt to the host's streak. The junior midfielder's sling slipped through the five-hole to find the back of the net. Tyler Eames set up Evan Wray who tallied the equalizer in a turnaround man-up goal from in front of the cage.  Guy Bistrow reclaimed the lead for the Lions two minutes later via another man-up situation. Bistrow was assisted by the season leading play maker, Matt Shand. The scoreboard went untouched at 6-5 for five minutes. Saint Leo brought the ball to the left ally and called a timeout. Devin Sparks came out of the break and executed the scheme perfectly with an immediate goal to extend the gap to two. The Lions' four goal run left 2:16 left in the first half. Unfortunately, it was just enough time for the Mocs to generate a pair of goals to level the game at seven apiece for the halftime break.
 
Nine minutes came and went in the third quarter without a goal registered by either team. Instead, the ball moved from end to end seeing six turnovers, leaving both programs frustrated. Florida Southern strung together a three-goal run to take the quarter 3-0, moving the score to 10-7 in the favor of the Mocs.
 
Florida Southern added to its' second half streak with a quarter opening goal. Down by four, Saint Leo earned its first goal of the half as Eames placed a perfect low left corner goal, assisted by Jack Spera. Ryan Marek made it a run netting another one 14 seconds later, assisted by Peyton Tyson. Eames struck again in an unassisted goal at 6:47 to extend the run to three and slashing the difference to one; 11-10.
 
With time shaving off the clock quickly, Florida Southern commits a penalty which Reece Hrycan gladly converted into an equalizing man-up goal, assisted by Shand with 47 seconds remaining in regulation. Neither team could get it done within regulation forcing the electrifying overtime.
 
Overtime took a mere 65 seconds. The Mocs had possession and a chance to end it as Florida Southern's shot ripped off the pipe and bounced to midfield where Spera recovered it. The Lions pushed down towards goal as Justin Williams found Bistrow slashing from the opposite side for the game winning goal. 
 
Up Next
The Lions turn around quickly to host the Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish on Saturday, April 10 at University Turf Stadium. Saturday's conference matchup is set to begin at 3 p.m.
 
 
For the latest news, updates, and information on the Saint Leo men's lacrosse, 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, holding competitions without 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.