Spartan Season Slips Away on Senior Night

TAMPA, Fla. - It seems almost fitting that the University of Tampa (3-10-2, 3-4-1 SSC) men's soccer team's 2011 season came to a close in a double overtime affair on Wednesday night. The Spartans fell to Sunshine State Conference opponent Saint Leo University (9-5, 4-4 SSC) in a 108 minute battle.

The game marks Tampa's seventh overtime contest this year, the fourth of which that has required double OT. Each of the seven extra-time matches has failed to result in a Spartan victory, as was the case Wednesday night. While the match is recorded as a loss, the Spartans, like every defeat this season, did not go down without a fight.

It was clear in the first half that the Spartans would be difficult to overcome as they registered eight shots total, including two on goal. The combating did not end there.

The Spartans returned to the pitch at the start of the second half with even more intensity than before. Despite its nine shots, including three on goal, UT could not seem to put the ball in the back of the Lion net.

Regulation time wound down to zero and the Spartans entered their 10th overtime period of the season. After the Spartans tallied the only shot on goal, the first OT remained scoreless. The second, on the other hand, proved to be the deciding factor in the match.

With 1:10 remaining in the second overtime period, Saint Leo found a hole in the Tampa defense and fired a shot into the back of the net that ended not just the game, but UT's season as well. The Lions defeated the Spartans by a final score of 1-0.

The match against SLU also marks the last collegiate games of seven Tampa seniors that have contributed to the immense successes of the UT soccer program over the years. Those seniors include Ryan Griffin, David Gulec, Matt Karn, Donahue Malvo, John Reddick, Greg Sasser, and Karl Swan.

The Spartans fought hard in every minute of their rocky 2011 campaign. After encountering scheduling conflicts, injuries, and overtimes, the UT men's soccer program remained a strong competitor in the SSC and Division II.