Asher Gibbons
Sports Editor
The women’s lacrosse team opened their 2025 season with a win against the Flagler College Saints by a score of 10-8 at Berend Field on Feb. 7.
“…we play in a great conference with great competition … we’ve never shied away from any sort of competition,” Head Coach Kara Reber said in an interview with FSC Athletics.
Flagler, ranked number eight previous to the game against the Mocs but were completely shut down over the course of four quarters.
The first possession of the season started off with a bang for the Moccasins, resulting in a beautiful side arm goal by attacker Giana Murphy.
After a Flagler goal about halfway through the first quarter, the Mocs responded with blazing speed and precision after another goal by Murphy on a free position shot– an offensive opportunity to take a shot after a defensive foul.
The Mocs would not see Flagler take the lead for the rest of the game.
Murphy would go on to have another goal later in the second, marking an impressive first-half-hat-trick. All of Murphy’s goals were unassisted.
Abby McFerren and Jenna Vetter each scored two goals in the game as well as Hanna Watson, Hannah Hale and Kaylee Stoky each putting the biscuit in the basket once.
The game featured excellent passing from both squads and great responding from the Mocs as a team. Each goal for Flagler was answered to by a goal from FSC with the last two Flagler goals in the final minutes being an exception.
“I loved our team’s grit and the never give up attitude,” said Reber in an interview with FSC Athletics. “The defensive unit and Rylie played great and gave it everything they had tonight. I am so happy with the fight, and I am looking forward to a great season.”
In the four matchups that FSC has had with Flagler, the Mocs have never lost.
No wonder they were ranked No. 4 on Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Association’s Division II weekly poll. USA Lacrosse Division also placed Florida Southern at No. 2, behind only the University of Tampa. The Mocs will face No. 1 Tampa in late March.
The team kept their momentum going on Feb. 18 when they faced the Saint Leo Lions, winning by a score of 17-12 and improving their record to 2-0.
Both Danielle Mojsej and Murphy would have four goals each in the affair as well as McFerren cementing her first hat-trick of the season.
As a group, the high powered offense came out swinging, scoring five unanswered goals and never saw a lead change during the night.
In the two game stretch, the Mocs have outscored their opponents by a close margin of 27-20 and have out-shot their opponents by 55-46.
Defensively, the Mocs had ten saves during the game and shut down the Lions on free position shots as they went 0-5.
They also have a glistening .923 clear percentage thus far in the short season.
Saint Leo falls to 0-15 all time against Florida Southern.
The Mocs will once again be at Berend Field for their next matchup during spring break on Sunday, Mar. 2 against the Anderson University Trojans.
