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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Connor Talleur scored five times to notch Player of the Game honors as Pacific Coast Division Champion/No. 5-ranked the University of Southern California used an 11-4 outburst over the span of the second and third quarters to overwhelm host Florida State University, 14-7, in the opening round of the 2017 Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship at the Morcom Aquatics Center.

The 2011 and 2012 National Collegiate Club Champion Trojans started their march back to a potential title game appearance and at least a Top Eight finish in the 16-team field by outgunning the Seminoles in a battle of among the West Coast’s best against the Third Place team from the Florida Division.

USC and FSU traded scoring blows in the opening quarter as the Seminoles went on the warpath to rattle the cage with back-to-back scoring blasts by Ryan Dawson (So., Miami, Fla.) at the 5:35 and 3:32 marks to place the Trojans on their heels.

Southern California responded, however, with man-up strikes by Talleur (1:27) and William Reiner Lueth (16 seconds) to balance the scoreboard at two-all by the conclusion of the frame.

USC went ahead for the first time 17 seconds into the second quarter as Mitchell Fargo (6:43) sliced in another man-up tally, but Silas Clapham (Sr., Bellevue, Wash.) delivered the equalizer at 5:54 to make it three-all.

The game turned on the next two goals as Talleur rifled home even-strength (5:41) and man-up (4:01) strikes to return the scoreboard advantage to Southern California and pad the margin to 5-3 in providing a lead to the Trojans they would not relinquish.

Clapham pulled Florida State back to within one at 5-4 with a natural goal at 3:46, but Talleur (3:16) and Chad Derosier (2:44) unloaded for consecutive six-on-five conversions prior to Talleur hurling in his fourth goal of the quarter and fifth of the game with 2:05 remaining in the first half for an 8-4 lead.

Dawson trimmed the Seminoles’ deficit back to three prior to the halftime horn by floating a ball into the cage at the 1:04 mark to inch Florida State within 8-5.

Tyler Roselli returned the lead to four at 9-5 33 seconds into the second quarter by hurling in a chance one second following the conclusion of an exclusion, but Dawson responded at 6:13 to again move FSU within three at 9-6.

However, the Trojans torqued in back-to-back-to-back-to-back markers to close out the third quarter as Derosier (5:51) and Roselli (3:13) found the back of the cage prior to Fargo hammering in consecutive goals with 2:05 and 38 seconds still on the clock to inflate the lead to 13-6 entering the fourth quarter.

The gap remained at seven until the 3:57 mark of the fourth quarter as Drew Hirsch fired in a frozen-rope drive following a penalty/misconduct for violence by Dawson to make it 14-6. Adam King (Sr., Boca Raton, Fla.) finished out the scoring 100 seconds later by cashing in on a six-on-five chance with 2:17 remaining for the 14-7 final score.

The win advances USC to an 11:20 a.m. meeting on Saturday, November 11, in the tournament quarterfinals against the winner of a first round game between Mid-Atlantic Division Champion No. 7 Pennsylvania State University and New York Division Champion/No. 8 United States Military Academy (Army).  Florida State will take on the fallen from the Nittany Lions/Cadets game at 8:40 p.m. tonight with hope of earning a Ninth Place finish by the conclusion of the three-day, 30-game championship tournament.

For the Trojans, Fargo (three), Derosier (two) and Roselli (two) joined Talleur in posting multi-goal games, while Lueth and Hirsch both tickled the twine once.  In cage, Thomas Wall stayed trued to his surname by stopping seven shots.

On the other end of the tank, Dawson led the way for the Seminoles with four goals prior to exiting the game via a misconduct.  Clapham (two) and King (one) accounted for the remainder of Florida State’s offense.

In cage, Henry Cope (Sr., Miami, Fla.) stopped three shots in the first half prior to being relieved for a four save effort from Steven Dawson (Sr., Miami, Fla.) in the second half.

1st Q 2nd Q 3rd Q 4th Q FINAL
University of Southern California 2 6 5 1 14
Florida State University 2 3 1 1 7
             
Florida State Goals: Ryan Dawson (4); Silas Clapham (2); Adam King
USC Goals: Connor Talleur (5); Mitchell Fargo (3); Chad Derosier (2); Tyler Roselli (2); William Reiner Lueth; Drew Hirsch
Saves: Florida State – Henry Cope (3, 14 minutes), Steven Dawson (4, 14 minutes); USC – Thomas Wall (7) 
Exclusions: Florida State –  14 ; USC – 3
Advantage Opportunities: Florida State- 1-for-3 ; USC – 7-for-14
Sprints: Florida State – 1-for-3  (1st) ; USC – 2-for-3 (3rd, 4th)
Cards/Misconducts: MV – Florida State (Ryan Dawson, 3:57 left in 4th Q)
Officials: Victor Raru, Jorge Villalobos

Photo 1: Florida State University’s Adam King (#16) uncorks a shot as the University of Southern California’s Tyler Roselli (#10) defends; Photo 2: University of Southern California’s Connor Talleur (#6) looks for a passing lane against Florida State University’s Daniel Wilde (#7); Photo 3: Florida State University’s Kurtis Urquhart (#4) tries to get a shot past the University of Southern California’s Tim Greer

 

 

 

 

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