Spartans Welcome Ninth-Ranked Florida Southern

TAMPA, Fla. – The University of Tampa men's soccer team will face off against No. 9 Florida Southern on Saturday night. This will be the second consecutive top 10 opponent for the Spartans. With a victory, head coach Adrian Bush would become the all-time winningest coach in UT history.

The Match: University of Tampa Spartans (1-3-3, 1-2 SSC) vs. No. 9 Florida Southern (8-0, 3-0 SSC)

Date/Time: Saturday, September 29 at 7 p.m.

Location: Pepin Stadium | Tampa, Fla. | 417 North Boulevard, Tampa, Fla. 33606

Last Time Out: Tampa took No. 5 Palm Beach Atlantic into extra time, although were knocked off by the Sailfish on a rocket from 30 yards out. Jake Richards kept UT in the game with four saves, including a miraculous diving grab on a penalty kick during the second half. Till Neumann added his second goal of the year and led the team with three shots on the evening. 

About the Spartans: UT is looking for their first ranked victory of the season against undefeated No. 9 Florida Southern. Richards has accumulated 34 saves in seven starts, which leads the SSC in "Saves per Game" at 4.86. The junior goal-keeper is ranked eighth all-time in UT history with 135 saves in 36 career starts. Tampa has a three-way tie for the 2018 goals leader as Neumann, Juancho Fernandez and Marcel Salokat have each registered two goals. Salokat and Fernandez share the team-lead with six points via two assists for each Spartan. Neumann has logged 18 shots in five appearances, which is fifth in the SSC in terms of "Shots per Game" at 3.60.

About the Moccasins: The ninth-ranked Moccasins have taken down two ranked SSC-foes in Lynn and Rollins in back-to-back matches. In their last outing, Florida Southern defeated Flager 3-0 after cashing in all three goals in the first 12 minutes of play. They currently hold the highest national ranking in program history at No. 9, and their eight-game win streak is one shy of the school record of nine-straight in 1996-97. James Meehan leads the way with seven goals in only four starts, while Christoph Gums is tied as the leader in assists (4) with Pablo Gallo Arias. The sophomore goal-keeper Benny Yusufoglu has started in all eight matches and has only allowed two goals, while saving 20 shots on target. Yusufoglu has racked up six shutouts and leads the SSC in "Save Percentage" at .909, while UT's Richards is third on the leaderboard. 

Series History: Tampa leads the all-time series with 34 victories, only seven losses, while drawing in four matches. UT holds a 20-1-1 record at home against the Moccasins. Last season, the Spartans dropped the match in Lakeland, 3-1, as Yusufolgu registered the win for Florida Southern. 

Tickets: General admission ticket prices for all Tampa regular season athletic events are $5. Youth (ages 12 and under) are admitted free of charge. UT students and faculty/staff are admitted free with a valid Spartan ID.

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