Thali's Hot Start Continues, Tampa Earns First Win of Season Against Warhawks

TAMPA, Fla. – The Spartans earned their first win of the season against the Auburn-Montgomery Warhawks at Pepin Stadium. Junior Omar Thali's goal in the 30^th minute, assisted by junior Travis Foster, was all the Tampa needed.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:

Final: Tampa 1, Auburn-Montgomery 0

Records: Tampa 1-1, Auburn-Montgomery 1-1

Location: Pepin Stadium || Tampa, Fla.

Head Coach Adrian Bush on the game: "I'm happy for the players, and their response from Friday was fantastic. To hold any team in this region without a shot for 90 minutes is as tough as it gets. AUM is a very good team and well-coached. Both teams left it on the field today."

All-time series: The Spartans and Warhawks have met twice and Tampa leads the all-time series 2-0. The last meeting between the Spartans and Warhawks on 10/15/2016 ended with a 6-1 Tampa win.

Follow Us: @TampaSpartans on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube

HOW IT HAPPENED:

First Half: The Spartans opened the game with a shot on a header by sophomore Ornaldo Zeqiri in the 4^th minute. Junior Albert Morales had his own quality scoring chance in the 11^th minute but was stopped by the Warhawks keeper, Alexander Kraus. Omar Thali scored what ended up being the game-winner in the 29^th minute (assisted by Foster). Score: 1-0 Tampa

Second Half: The Spartans held the Warhawks shotless the entire match but had three shots of their own in the second half: at 69' by freshman Sean Quinn, at 87' by junior Juancho Fernandez, and at 89' by Thali. Final: 1-0 Tampa

INSIDE THE STATS:

• Omar Thali is on a blistering start to the season and has scored all three Spartan goals in the two matches they have played. He scored two goals in the season-opener against #18 West Florida.
• UT outshot the Warhawks 7-0 with three shots on goal.

UP NEXT: The Spartans are on the road for the first time this season for an evening contest with the West Alabama Tigers on Friday, September 10 at 5:00 PM.