Spartans Travel Back Home With Another Win

WINTER PARK, Fla. The No. 5 Spartans bring home another road win after defeating the No. 17 Tars. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

The nationally ranked Spartans took control quickly of the first period as Sophi Wrisk found the back of the net within the first minute of the match. On the next attack, Wrisk would find Georgia Glowaki on the inside, who would score from the top of the crest. While Tampa continued to put pressure on Rollins, the Tars would find an opening as Madison McGarry scored an unassisted goal to help get Rollins on the scoreboard. This did not shift the momentum away from the Spartans as Gracie Colombo would earn a free position goal a minute later. At the 10:13 mark, Peyton Howell would help extend Tampa's lead to 4-1 off a solo goal. Looking like the first quarter was out of their hands, the Tars were able to convert two consecutive goals to cut into the Spartans' advantage. With 16 seconds left on the game clock, Cece Colombo would tack on an unassisted goal to ensure that Tampa stayed in the forefront before heading into the second quarter. 

Howell would be the first Spartan to get things started again in the second quarter as she tallied a man-up goal off a pass from Wrisk. Rollins would respond back with a goal of their own by Caroline Gastonguay, but it would do no damage as Tampa would go on and score three consecutive goals by three different Spartans. At the 7:27 mark, McGarry would find open space to score an unassisted goal that would cut Tampa's lead to 9-5. A play later, midfielder Cece Colombo would draw a foul to earn a free position attempt that would end up finding the back of the net. The Spartans would continue to stay on the attack on the new possession as Wrisk would once again find Howell, who would move across the front of the net to score in the lower left corner. This goal made Howell the first Spartan of the day to tally a hat trick. Now trailing by six, Rollins would earn a man-down goal, making it their last goal before the half as the Spartans continued to put pressure on the Tars' defense. Howell would can her fourth goal off a Wrisk-pass at the 2:36 mark, making it her 26th goal of the season. With time on the game clock for one more play, Jenna Myhal would sling a shot pass the Tars' goalie to give Tampa a 13-6 lead. 

The third period only saw three goals scored as both teams looked to controll the possession and find more scoring opportunities. For the Spartans, Hinkle would be the only one to nab a goal, making it her second of the day. The Tars would secure the other two goals from their top scorers, but Rollins would continue to stay behind Tampa and their lead. The fourth quarter was packed with more action as Rollins continued to try to fight their way back into the match while Tampa carried on, putting pressure on the Tars' defense. While Rollins would be the first to score, Tampa would respond back as Myhal would earn her second goal of the game from the free position spot. Five minutes later, Howell would follow suit as she would draw a foul to earn a free position attempt where she would score her fifth and final goal of the match. At the 2:20 mark, Wrisk would be the last Spartan to find the back of the net, making her the second Spartan to earn a hat trick as well as securing a 17-11 win for Tampa. 

Stat of the Game – Alex Walling earned a new season-high in saves as she recorded a total of 15 saves in today's matchup. 

TAMPA POST-GAME NOTES 

• Tampa earns their fifth conference win and improves to 12-3 overall on the season. 
• Two Spartans would tally a hat trick in the game.  
• UT went 18-20 on clears.
• The Spartans would cause 7 turnovers and win 18 draw controls. 
• Peyton Howell would tally a total of 5 goals, making her the game's leading scorer.   

UP NEXT – The Spartans will travel back home to prepare for their final regular season match against the Eagles this Wednesday at 3:00 PM.