Tampa Caps Off Regular Season On A High Note

TAMPA, Fla. The No. 5 University of Tampa Spartans soar past the No. 15 Embry-Riddle Eagles to conclude the 2024 regular season. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

Embry-Riddle got off to a quick start in the first quarter as Eagles player Eliana Enners would find the back of the net in the first few minutes. This did not shake the Spartans as senior attacker Sarah Hinkle would score the equalizer from the free position spot two minutes later. Erasing a 1-0 deficit, Sophi Wrisk would find Gracie Colombo on the new possession, who would score her first goal of many. Now trailing by one, Embry-Riddle would win the draw control and make their way to Spartan territory to even the score off an unassisted goal. However, Gracie Colombo would net her second goal unassisted to regain the lead at 3-2 for Tampa. Embry-Riddle would answer back with a goal of their own, but the Spartan attacker would nab another goal, making Gracie Colombo the first player of the day to earn a hat trick. As there were still five minutes left in the first, the Spartans' defense continued to shut down several opportunities from the Eagles and forced their opponents to take a timeout. This ended up being beneficial for Embry-Riddle as they would net their fourth shot of the game off a fast break. After some back-and-forth action on a new possession, Embry-Riddle would win a ground ball that would make its way to Tampa's half and end up finding the back of the net, giving the Eagles the lead for the second time at 5-4. With 27 seconds still left, Wrisk would bet an Eagle's defender to tally a solo goal, equalizing the score for Tampa before heading into the next period. 

While Tampa made a goalie change to bring in Savvy Barbosa, the match continued to be an uphill battle for the Spartans as Eagle Samantha Reich would shoot and score from the free position spot. Trailing by one, Tampa would see an opportunity to add another goal to the scoreboard as Embry-Riddle would draw a green card. With a man-up and seven seconds left in the penalty, Peyton Howell would tack on a goal, making it her 32nd of the season. A play later, Wrisk would pass the ball in front to Gracie Colombo to net her fourth goal, giving Tampa a one-goal advantage. After forcing a Spartan turnover, the Eagles quickly moved the ball around and would find an opening to tie the game once again. However, Tampa would retake the lead as Jenna Myhal would get a good look off a free position attempt that would be ripped past the Embry-Riddle's keeper. The Spartans were not out of the woods yet as the Eagles would win possession on the new attack and secure a man-up goal by Reich. At the 2:14 mark, Riley McGettigan would get herself involved in the action as she would score an unassisted goal. Leading 9-8, Isabella Avila would cause a turnover that would end up benefitting Tampa as the play later saw Sarah Hinkle finding the back of the net.

After the break, the Spartans would enter the field and put pressure on the Eagles defense as they would take nine out of the twelve shots taken in the third quarter. At the 8:00 mark, Georgia Glowaki would be the first player to score for the Spartans, giving Tampa their largest lead so far in the match at 11-8. Embry-Riddle would answer back with a solo goal by Caitlin Gavin, but with less than a minute left in the quarter, Gracie Colombo would retaliate with her third unassisted goal (fifth goal overall) to maintain a three-goal advantage for Tampa. The fourth period did not see any scoring action until the 6:32 mark as Gracie Colombo would nab a man-up goal from the free position spot. On a new attack, Gracie Colombo found the back of the net yet again off a Wrisk pass to give Tampa a 14-9 lead. Embry-Riddle still had more fights in them as they would score a free position goal by Enners. As the game clock continued to wind down, Cece Colombo would tack on the final goal of the match at the 2:21 mark, sealing the deal for Tampa at 15-10. 

Stat of the Game – Gracie Colombo tallied seven goals in today's final regular season matchup, making her the second leading goal scorer for the Spartans this season at 40 goals.  

TAMPA POST-GAME NOTES 

• Tampa closed out their regular season with their fifth consecutive conference win.
• The Spartans improved to a 13-3 overall record this season. 
• Gracie Colombo would be the only Tampa player to tally a hat trick in the game.  
• UT went 18-20 on clears.
• The Spartans would cause 11 turnovers and win 17 draw controls. 

UP NEXT – The Spartans will head into the postseason with a bye for the first round of the 2024 Sunshine State Conference Tournament.