Sunshine State Conference

Looking for redemption after a home loss in the NCAA finals in 1990, Florida Tech men's soccer was pitted against a determined Sonoma State squad in the 1991 NCAA Division II Championship Game. The Panthers, armed with a prolific goal scorer and skilled coach, did not disappoint the 3000 fans in attendance.

Sonoma State had compiled an impressive 18-3-2 record, including a hard-fought, 2-1, penalty kick triumph over Cal Poly San Luis-Obispo in the semifinals. Florida Tech needed two second-half goals from forward Eddie Enders to post a come-from-behind, 2-1 victory over Franklin Pierce to reach the championship.

For the second straight year, the Melbourne, Florida school was hosting the Division II Soccer Championship. Previously, the Panthers lost its semifinal game, 2-1, to Seattle Pacific, and were determined not to fall short again.

With another overflow crowd settling into their seats, Sonoma State made one of its rare offensive rushes of the night to take a 1-0 lead 11 minutes into the game.

The Panthers responded, pressing the ball but continued to be frustrated by near misses. Then, with 15 minutes remaining until halftime, Colin Semwayo redirected a Colin Prest shot into the net, tying the game at 1-1. However, All-America forward Richard Sharpe was knocked into the goalpost during the play and was helped off the field with an injured left knee.
 
Head athletic trainer Ray Rodriguez became the Panthers' most valuable player, working furiously on Sharpe's left knee. When Sharpe returned for the second half to a standing ovation, his left leg was wrapped, and he walked with a noticeable limp.

Despite the injury, Sharpe continued to create chances for the Panthers. With 23 minutes remaining in regulation, Enders was taken down near the Cossacks' goal, and Sharpe converted the ensuing penalty kick to give Florida Tech a 2-1 lead. Less than two minutes later, Sharpe scored on a 25-yard bullet that made it 3-1.

The Panthers kept the pressure up, making it 4-1 just five minutes later as Semwayo scored his second goal of the match. Sharpe followed soon after with his third score of the game for his eighth hat trick of the season. The final score of 5-1 provided the largest margin of victory ever in an NCAA Division II Championship game.

Richard Sharpe finished 1991 with 97 points and an NCAA record 42 goals. Sharpe broke his own NCAA goal record and the NCAA point record in 1992 with 49 and 112, respectively. Sharpe finished at Florida Tech with the most career points (321) and goals (137) in any NCAA division.

To culminate the 1991 season, Rick Stottler became the first Florida Tech soccer coach to win the Division II Coach of the Year award and was honored in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

'I was a little surprised, that's the top honor a coach can win," said Stottler, who was also named the South Regional Coach of the Year. 'It was nice, but the players and the other coaches win it-it's not just for you. It's really something that you will always remember, but when you get right down to it, I couldn't have won it without the work of Assistant Coaches."

Richard Sharpe insisted, "Coach Stottler was an inspiration for us throughout the season. It's a testimony to his knowledge of the game and to his ability to share that knowledge that we won the championship."

[Published: 1/21/16 / Edited: 3/17/20]

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Lynn University women's tennis defeated No. 1 BYU-Hawaii, 5-3, on May 14th, 2001. BYU-Hawaii was a tennis powerhouse in every sense of the word, having won the two previous national championships and holding an NCAA Division II record of 105 consecutive matches winning streak.

"The 2001 national championship match had many moments that impacted that win. Our women on that day showed tremendous heart and a will to win that was extraordinary," commented Lynn head coach, Mike Perez. "BYU was the more talented team, but our women had more physically and wanted that title. "

Lynn's recent record against BYU-Hawaii provided a dismal outlook for the championship match. During the 2000 national championship final, the Seasiders swept Lynn, 5-0. During an early-season match in 2001, BYU-Hawaii held off Lynn in a 6-3 match.

A determined Fighting Knights squad battled in the spring to a 24-2 overall record and their fourth consecutive Sunshine State Conference championship. In the national tournament, Lynn defeated Lees-McRae, Abilene Christian, and West Florida to reach the championship match against BYU-Hawaii.
 

"One of the key victories for Lynn came in No. 3 doubles. The team of Maria Alves and Maria Palacious withstood six match points to earn a 9-7 win. "Once we won the game to make it 7-5, we knew we would win the match," said Alves following the win.

Alves added a singles victory for the Fighting Knights, winning 6-3, 6-0 at the No. 6 position. Like Alves, Andrea Kostricova helped Lynn earn the title by posting wins in singles and doubles. As No. 4 in singles, Kostricova came through with a 7-5, 6-4 victory. Kostricova posted an 8-1 victory in No. 2 doubles along with partner Marketa Langerova.

Monika Mastalirova's effort in the championship was a perfect effigy to the Fighting Knights season. Playing as No. 1 singles, Mastalirova lost the first set 4-6 to the Seasiders. She then rallied 6-2, 6-3 earning the victory in the end.

[Published: 1/21/16 / Edited: 3/17/20]

About the 40 Great Moments Campaign

The "40 Great Moments" campaign was created to bring attention to the athletic excellence, academic excellence, community engagement, and sportsmanship that has made up the Sunshine State Conference over the last 40 years. Moments were nominated by current and former student-athletes, coaches, administrators, alumni, and fans. The final 40 moments were decided upon by a vote of conference Sports Information Directors. The "40 Great Moments" campaign concluded during the Summer of 2016.

View all 40 of the SSC's Great Moments, here.