Asher Gibbons
Sports Editor
The history books have some rewriting to be done. Women’s lacrosse brought down program and career records on March 25 in the game of the year against the Saint Leo Lions.
Going into the game, the Mocs held a prestigious win streak against the Lions, defeating them in every prior meeting dating back to 2012. At the time, the Mocs were (and still are) ranked No. 2 in Division II, behind only Flagler, who the Mocs fell to 7-13 in late February. Additionally, this game marked the beginning of conference play for both teams.
This was a special game, with FSC faculty and staff being recognized for their hard work on the campus alongside the student-athletes. Once the starters were introduced and the national anthem wrapped up, it took just one minute to see the first goal of the day zoom by Lions keeper, Jessica Harclerode, the SSC’s all-time leader in saves.
The goal was scored by all-star junior, Jenna Vetter, who was notably being faceguarded all game in an attempt to slow her down.
After Saint Leo midfielder Marina Dean flew past the restraining line, two passes were all it took to find a blindspot for the Mocs with Sophia Wood finding the back of the net to even the game 1-1. They would extend their lead three and a half minutes later.
The Mocs grabbed the game back when Lindsay Tolliver fired a behind the back shot to tie it again at 2-2 during a man-up opportunity. From there, it was a tug of war contest, with constant scoring on both sides. No team held more than a two goal lead at any point.
Jumping all the way to the fourth quarter, the game was tied at 11 a piece. It started to slip away when the Lions rattled off two goals. Vetter decided to take the matter into her own hands and responded one after the other to re-tie the game at 13, marking her seventh and eighth goals of the night. The clock now read 6:30, an eternity of playing time left.
With 5:24 left to go, Isabelle Lucas was pinned for a yellow card, forcing the Mocs to play with one less helping hand. Saint Leo’s Jana Nuss cashed in on the woman-up opportunity with a free position goal. 3:58 remained on the clock.
With each second that ticked off the clock, it signified less hope for the Moccasins historic win streak against the Lions. With 40 seconds left, they had one final rush. Vetter dumped it to Hanna Watson at the point and sprinted as fast as she could into the arc, right out in front of the net. Watson sniped it back to Vetter who was fouled and given a free position shot.
It was with 20 seconds left that Vetter scored her ninth goal of the game, tying not only the game but also a program record for most goals in a game.
The horn blared and that meant overtime was due next. Despite having the advantage for the five minutes in OT with Holly Hill receiving a green card and Grace DeWitt receiving a yellow, the Mocs couldn’t find the back of the net.
After winning the draw to start the second overtime, each and every eyeball in the Barnett Athletic Complex couldn’t help but stare at the miraculous conclusion. It was Lindsay Tolliver who had her name heard with a shot that rang off the steel, hitting the back of Harclerode and sputtering into the net.
“You could have her shoot that a gazillion, a billion, whatever number you want times, and she could not replicate it,” play-by-play announcer of FSC lacrosse, Karl van Gelder said. “She could not hit it the same way, even if she hits the pole every time. I think that’s just the epitome of this season for Florida Southern. They’re not really top of the country in pretty much any stat. They’re pretty good in most stats, but a lot of them, they’re just above average. But the thing with this team is they’ve just found a way to win.”
This game lasted over 65 minutes of play, one of the longest in program history and just the second double overtime game in program history. For her performance, Vetter was the recipient of both the IWLCA and SSC offensive player of the week award and deservedly so.
For Saint Leo, Holly Hill became the program leader in assists in a season, while Sophia Wood scored her 100th career goal.
Speaking of career achievements, Mocs head coach Kara Reber has since secured her 300th career win on Apr. 14 against Florida Tech.
Now, the landscape of the SSC is much different due to this game. The Lions remain just behind the Mocs in the standings, with back-to-back Division II champions being silenced by FSC, Saint Leo and Lynn University.
The Mocs are due to play in the SSC Quarterfinals on Saturday, Apr. 18. To keep up to date, check fscmocs.com for all athletics information.
