Living his dream

Spring has brought about a little May Madness for former Oceanside High School lacrosse standout Andrew Failla.

Now a sophomore at the University of Tampa, Failla is the starting goalie for the Spartans, who are set to play in their first NCAA Division II national tournament. Their opening-round game is scheduled for May 10, at 1 p.m., against No. 3-seeded Mercyhurst University. Tampa, the No. 2 seed, will host. The matchups were announced last Sunday, and Failla and his teammates gathered at Martinez Hall, the university’s sports facility, to watch the selection show, streamed live on NCAA.com, much like basketball’s March Madness brackets.

“It’s honestly one of the best feelings in the world to get to this point in the NCAAs,” Failla said. “

The Spartans went 15-2 during the season, including 5-0 in the Sunshine State Conference, then beat Rollins, 13-8, and Florida Southern, 11-6, in the playoffs to secure their first conference championship. Failla had a lot to do with the team’s success. He made 10 saves in the semifinal win over Rollins, including four in the second half, as Tampa stormed back from a 6-4 halftime deficit. He then turned away eight shots, and allowed just one score after intermission, in the victory over Florida Southern that sent the Spartans to the big dance.

Failla was euphoric “watching the clock getting closer to zero and knowing you were going to win a championship.” The moment was sweeter, he said, because of the opposition: Florida Southern is Tampa’s biggest rival in the SSC. “Nothing beats that in sports, beating your rival for a championship,” he said. “Also, we knew winning that game would give us an opportunity to win a national championship. As long as you make the tournament, anything can happen.”

Failla, who was 11-2 in the cage this season, was selected to both the all-conference team and the SSC all-tournament team. While playing in 14 of 17 games, he made 104 saves while allowing 70 goals, a .598 saves percentage. As a freshman, he appeared in 10 games, stopped 24 shots, allowed 21 goals and had a .533 save percentage as the Spartans went 11-6. 

Failla is faring well off the field, too. He is majoring in mathematical programming, and last year made the SCC Commissioner’s Honor Roll. He enjoys spending time with his teammates and is especially close to the defensemen who play in front of him.

“Our team is very close,” he said, “and we’re always bonding.”

Failla’s exploits in Tampa will come as no surprise to anyone who watched him star in goal for Oceanside High from 2009 to 2012. He was team captain for the Sailors, and was named to the all-conference team twice in his four years on the varsity. In his senior season, he saved 63 percent of the shots made against him. 

But it was not only lacrosse that attracted him to southern Florida. “When I chose my school, I thought about where I would want to be if I didn’t play lacrosse,” he said. “Of course, I fell in love with Tampa when I visited the school. Also, I saw the great potential in Tampa’s program to win a national championship. My dream as player is to be a part of a national championship team.”

Now, as May Madness begins, he’ll have that chance.