Spartans Fall Short in Battle for Rowdies Cup

TAMPA, Fla. - The University of Tampa men's soccer team got out an early lead, but eventually suffered a 2-1 loss to the University of South Florida for the 2015 Rowdies Cup. The annual showdown between crosstown opponents goes back to USF as Tampa won in 2014.

"Our guys showed a lot of character tonight, which is the foundation of any championship team," says head coach Adrian Bush. "USF is a talented team that gives us a great test in preseason. Our overall match fitness needs to improve, but I'm pleased at where we are 6 days into preparation for our season opener."

In front of 1,403 fans at Corbett Field, UT senior Keith Francisco would give the Spartans a 1-0 lead of a goal from the top of the box just 1:49 into the match. Classmate Nikolai Hammer assisted the opening goal, which Francisco scored in the lower right corner of the USF goal.

The Bulls would need just 16 seconds to even the score at 1-1 as Nazeem Bartman scored on a cross at 2:05. Gabriel Pfeffer would connect on the deciding goal at 35:49 as the second half would go scoreless. Tampa did have its share of chances in the second half, hitting the crossbar on two occasions.

The Spartans tallied 13 shots, including two on goal as Troy Tucker accounted for the other shot on goal. Freshman goalkeeper Christian Knight finished with three saves while playing the entire 90 minutes. USF would finish with 21 shots, including five on target.

The annual rivalry game between the Bulls and Spartans is a preseason staple for both teams since its institution in 2005. USF and Tampa played 19 times between 1972 and 1997 before taking a seven-year hiatus. The two programs renewed the rivalry in 2005 and dubbed it as the "Rowdies Cup" in honor of the Tampa Bay Rowdies 1975 NASL Championship team, which was Tampa Bay's first professional championship team.

The Bulls now own an 8-2-1 record in the series since 2005. USF also leads the all-time series 17-9-3 and has now won eight of the past 11 meetings between the two programs and holds a 14-7-0 record at home against the Spartans.

UT will now turn its focus to the regular season as it will open the 2015 slate on the road against Spring Hill on Sept. 3 at 5 p.m. The Spartans will open with four road contests before their home opener on Sept. 16 versus Warner at 7 p.m.

For complete information of UT men's soccer, please visit TampaSpartans.com or follow @TampaSpartans on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.