Sports Lowdown

Austen Zugelter - Photo credit: James Ragan Photography  The Tampa Spartans proved why they are the class of the field on Sunday, beating the Florida Tech Panthers 12-8 and earning their fourth straight Sunshine State Conference championship in the process. Austen Zugelter had a hat trick and Carson Clough had two goals and an assist for the Panthers, in a losing cause. Matt Vetter had three goals and an assist to lead the Spartans. The first half of the game was tightly contested, with the teams trading goals throughout. Tampa (15-4) jumped out to a 2-0 lead, before Clough and Tyler Covey tallied for the Panthers, tying the game with 5:53 to go in the first quarter. Sean Herdman scored his second of the day 46 seconds later, but he was answered by Zugelter, with 1:25 to go. As has been the case on a few separate occasions this season, the Panthers gave up a goal late in the period, when Bryan Wright beat Florida Tech goalie Daniel Flock , with two seconds ...

Sam Schiano - Photo credit: James Ragan Photography The Florida Tech Women’s lacrosse team has had a flare for the dramatic this season, but on Sunday, they just couldn’t find their way toward a comeback in the Sunshine State Conference title game, losing to defending SSC and NCAA champion Florida Southern, 20-12. It was the first trip to the championship game for the Panthers, who are in their third year as a program under Sunshine State Conference Coach of the Year Corinne Desrosiers. She won the award for the second consecutive year, earlier this week. They have grown by leaps and bounds just from last season to this one, but on Sunday, the Moccasins took control early and the Panthers could not any kind of sustained run, to swing the momentum. Florida Southern (19-2) took the lead 58 seconds into the game on a goal by Kendall Kerge. She beat Florida Tech goalie Stephanie Stuart 58 seconds into the game and that sparked a 6-0 run by the Mocs. Stuart would come...