Spartans Defeat Tritons in Overtime at Home Opener
The University of Tampa men's soccer team defeated the Eckerd Tritons 3-2 in their home opener, advancing to 1-0 in conference play.
September 20, 2017
Tampa, Fla. - The University of Tampa men's soccer team claimed a 3-2 victory over SSC foe Eckerd College in their first match after Hurricane Irma. The Spartans advance to 2-1 on the season, 1-0 in conference play.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: Tampa 3, Eckerd 2
Records: Tampa (2-1), Eckerd (2-2)
Location: Pepin Stadium | Tampa, Fla.
All-time Series: Tampa now leads the all-time series 45-34.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
1st Half | Senior Bay Downing scored the first goal of the half (12:29) with the assist coming from sophomore Juancho Fernandez. Fifteen minutes into the half, Eckerd midfielder Robert Labus went down with a leg injury delaying the game. In the 33rd minute, Juan Tejada berried one in the back of the net for the Tritons. Tampa held a 4-3 edge in shots posting three on goal compared to Eckerd's two.
2nd Half | Bay Downing scored again for the Spartans, with the assist from Juancho Fernandez. The Tritons battled back and Westleigh Rush netted a goal in the 84th minute for Eckerd to tie the game.
Overtime | To end the game Ramzi Toure scored the game-winning point after Eckerd's goalie punched the ball out of the box, only for it to hit the crossbar and bounce right to Toure as if it was being served on a golden platter.
INSIDE THE STATS:
• Tampa out shot Eckerd 10-8 with an 8-4 advantage in shots on goal.
• Downing scored both goals for the Spartans in regular time, with both assists coming from Fernandez.
• Ramzi Toure netted the game-winning shot, to also record his first goal of the season.
• The Spartans took 1 corner kick while the Tritons took two.
• Jake Richards played goal keeper for Tampa registering two saves on the night.
UP NEXT:
Tampa travels to West Palm Beach, Fla., to face Palm Beach Atlantic on Saturday, September 23 at 7 p.m.
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