Spartans Conclude Preseason With 2-0 Loss

FORT MYERS, Fla. - The University of Tampa men's soccer team fell 2-0 to Florida Gulf Coast University on Wednesday night. The Spartans conclude their preseason with a 0-3 mark and will open their regular season on the road in Columbus, Ga., on September 3.

Despite another shutout loss, UT head coach Adrian Bush was encouraged by the effort in the third and final preseason match.

"We had a lot of improvement tonight," Bush said. "I'm looking forward to nine days of training before we open up."

Bush stressed the fact that these games generally do not reflect the ensuing regular season and that they are primarily for getting returning players into game form and getting new players acclimated to the Spartans system.

"There isn't a player on our roster who has not seen solid minutes this preseason and that is what these games are for," Bush noted.

Tampa will play its first match of the regular season on September 3 in Columbus, Ga. against Montevallo. The two squads last met in the NCAA South Regional in 2008 when the Spartans came away with a 1-0 victory.