Florida Tech Panthers Lacrosse Ranked No. 4 in Annual Sunshine State Conference Coaches Preseason Poll

By  //  January 25, 2023

panthers are coming off a 10-6 season with an SSC semifinal appearance

he Florida Tech men’s lacrosse team checked in at No. 4 on Monday when the Sunshine State Conference coaches’ released their annual preseason poll. (Florida Tech image)

BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – The Florida Tech men’s lacrosse team checked in at No. 4 on Monday when the Sunshine State Conference coaches’ released their annual preseason poll.

Defending national champions Tampa was picked as the preseason favorite for the 10th consecutive season, garnering seven of the eight first-place votes.

The Crimson & Gray are coming off a 10-6 season with an SSC semifinal appearance.

The 52-man strong roster features a mix of returning veterans, including All-American defender Sam Balch, All-South Region honoree Zach Rozgonyi, and All-SSC selections Austin Engeler and Jakob Terpak.

A season ago, Balch led all of Division II with 44 caused turnovers during the regular season and ranked third nationally with 2.75 caused turnovers per game. Leading scorer, Rozgonyi had a breakout season as he led the team with 67 points and 46 goals, both single-season school records.

Engeler, one of the best short-stick defensive midfielders in the SSC, saw 13 caused turnovers and 16 ground balls and was a threat in transition, recording six points on five goals and one assist.

Terpak will look to improve on his impressive freshman campaign, where he posted 20 points on 13 goals and seven assists, in addition to picking up nine ground balls and two caused turnovers.

Tampa led the preseason voting with 49 total points to edge out Rollins who took second in the voting with 41 total points.

Florida Southern and Florida Tech rounded out the top four at 37 and 32 points, respectively. Lynn (22), Saint Leo (21), Embry-Riddle (13), and Palm Beach Atlantic (9) hold the final four positions in the ranking.

Second-year head coach Brad MacArthur and the Tech men open the 2023 season at home on Feb. 4 when they take on Tampa in a non-conference matchup at 4 p.m.

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