Sports Lowdown

Brandon Ziarno - Photo credit: James Ragan Photography The Florida Tech Panthers opened their 2017 season on Saturday night, earning their second straight home opener shutout. FIT got contributions from all three phases of the game, en route to a 44-0 drubbing of the Virginia-Lynchburg Dragons. The 44 point margin is the largest in the five-year history of the Panthers. Florida Tech (1-0) took a while to get their legs under them, as they led 10-0 at the half. A 15-yard run by Antwuan Haynes and a 20-yard run by starting quarterback Brandon Ziarno highlighted the Panthers opening drive, which culminated in a 20-yard field goal by Kyle Gullikson . “Offensively we started slow, we didn't do things we needed to do early on,” said Florida Tech coach Steve Englehart. “We were adjusting to what we were seeing on defense and that had something to do with it, but ultimately, we just needed to get going and sped up the tempo a little bit.” The Panthers looked primed to scor...

The Florida Tech women's soccer team jumped right into the deep end of the pool, opening their season at #15 Texas A&M-Commerce University on Friday night. The Lions scored two goals early in the second half and they stood up as the difference in the game. The first half was fairly quiet, as is usually the case in season openers. Florida Tech goaltender Karlyn Prisco made two saves, the first on a shot from Leslie Campuzano at the 20:49 and another 4:55 later, off the foot of Sophie Haywood. The only shot on goal for Florida Tech came with 16:38 elapsed, as Brittany Etrick was denied by Lions goalie Caitlin Duty. The halftime break seemed to be just what the doctor ordered for Texas A&M-Commerce, as they took just four minutes to tickle the twine behind Prisco. Haywood, who Prisco turned away earlier, settled a high ball down and beat Prisco, giving the home team a 1-0 lead. Kara Blasingame was awarded a corner kick at 54:13 and she put it on the foot of Del...

Photo credit: James Ragan Photography T he Florida Tech Panthers have gone through spring practices, training camp and all the grueling work that goes with it. This Saturday, all that hard work will pay off, as the Panthers open their season at home, against Virginia University of Lynchburg.   “We've had a good camp, a tough camp,” said Florida Tech head coach Steve Englehart. “We've asked a lot of them and you can talk about wins and talk about championships all you want, but what it really comes down to is focusing on the process of getting there. You gotta love the practice if you're on this football team and you gotta love coming out here and try to get better every day and that's what our guys have done.”   Englehart admits that he's not sure if his team is where he wants them, but they are getting there. “We don't know a lot about Lynchburg, but we gotta get out there and play a game and we'll evaluate from there.”   Other than th...

Nick Capra - Photo credit: James Ragan Photography The Florida Tech Panthers ended their 2017 regular season, splitting a doubleheader at Eckerd. After dropping the first game 11-8, in a slugfest, the Panthers used a three run fourth inning in game two, to secure a 4-2 victory. With the victory in game two, the Panthers finished the season 10 games over .500 and won four of their last five games. Game one featured five home runs and was a back-and-forth affair throughout, with Florida Tech starter Tyler Deel going just three innings and Eckerd starter Nick Alonzo, lasting just four. Neither figured in the final outcome. Florida Tech (30-20, 14-10 SSC) got a run in the top of the first. Grant McKown singled and moved to third on a failed pickoff attempt later in the inning. He came home on a single by Reid Neal . Deel started the bottom of the first by hitting leadoff man Tom Buonopane, but he picked him off moments later. It was one of two pickoffs Deel had in h...

Sara Grenier - Photo credit: James Ragan Photography The third time was not the charm Saturday, for the Florida Tech women’s lacrosse team. Florida Southern completed a season sweep of the Panthers, with a 16-5 victory in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Tournament in Lakeland. Kendall Kerge, who had a big game against the Panthers earlier in the season, scored half of the Florida Southern goals in this game and added an assist for good measure. She scored on eight of her 10 shots. After a big win over East Stroudsburg on Friday, the Panthers drew a third meeting against the Moccasins and could not get through a very tough Florida Southern defense that put the clamps down early, making it difficult for the Panthers to get into any kind of rhythm. Sara Grenier and Allie Modica led the Panthers with two goals each, while Caroline Dunleavy and Aleah Fjelstad , had single tallies. Dunleavy, had seven goals and four assists on Friday, but Saturday, the Moccas...