Spartans Preparing for Night Hawks
The University of Tampa is set to host Thomas University on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
TAMPA, Fla. – The University of Tampa men's soccer team is in search of its first win of the season against Thomas University after opening the season with three draws in its opening four matches.
The Match: University of Tampa (0-1-3, 0-0 SSC) vs. Thomas University (1-2-1, 0-0 TSC)
Date/Time: Wednesday, September 12 at 6 p.m.
Location: Pepin Stadium | Tampa, Fla. | 417 North Boulevard, Tampa, Fla. 33606
Last Time Out: The Spartans rounded out their Georgia road trip with a 1-1 tie against Clayton State. Freshman Travis Foster scored the Spartans' lone goal midway through the first half off a Marcel Salokat cross. Foster chipped the ball over the head of Clayton State's goalkeeper Leuri Fraire to snag his first collegiate goal. The Lakers evened the scoring just before halftime, and neither team could break the deadlock. Junior goalkeeper Jake Richards made five saves in net with two of those saves coming in overtime.
About the Spartans: With a win against Thomas, head coach Adrian Bush can tie Tom Fitzgerald for the most all-time career wins. Bush currently sits at 136 wins. The Spartans have six different goalscorers this season, and Tampa's freshmen have notched goals in three consecutive matches (Julius Becker, Amgad Salah and Foster). Junior forward Juancho Fernandez leads the team with four points after scoring one goal and assisting on two in the opening four matches.
About the Nighthawks: After dropping their opening two matches, the Nighthawks have bounced back with a win and a tie in their last two games, including a 4-2 win over Dalton State. Thomas is coached by Ricky Zambrano, who has led the program to three NAIA National Championships during his tenure. Gavin Rochford-Smith and Y'sef Glass lead the team with four points apiece, and Florida Southern transfer Rene Rivera has tallied a goal and an assist. Lee Howarth and Ben Barnes have split goalkeeper duties thus far with both starting two games each.
Series History: The Spartans hold a slight edge in the series with a 3-2 advantage. The teams last met in 2011, the Nighthawks scored four goals in the second half to outlast Tampa 4-3.
Tickets: General Admission ticket prices for all Tampa regular season athletic events are $5 for adults and $3 for Seniors, Military and visiting students. Youth (ages 12 and under) are admitted free of charge.
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