Spartans Set to Welcome Nationally Ranked Panthers
TAMPA, Fla. - The University of Tampa Men's Soccer Team will face off against Florida Tech in a battle of West vs. East Florida Sunshine State Conference Universities.
The Matchup: University of Tampa Spartans (6-7-1, 4-4-1 SSC) vs. Florida Tech Panthers 9-2-1, 5-2-1 SSC)
Date/Time: Saturday at 7 p.m.
Location: Pepin Stadium || Tampa, Fla. || 417 North Boulevard, Tampa, Fla. 33606
About the Spartans: Tampa is looking to rebound from a 3-2 defeat versus Florida National on Tuesday. The Spartans rested 10 out of 11 starters in the match against the non-conference opponent. There were encouraging signs for Tampa in the defeat as Amgad Salah scored his fourth goal of the season via a penalty kick, and freshman Trevor Stanley scored on a magnificent free-kick. Tampa's starters will be well-rested and motivated as the underdogs with the home-crowd support against the Panthers. The Spartans have won their last two SSC games, at St. Leo (3-1, Oct. 23) and vs. Rollins (1-0, Oct. 26). UT will look to win both their remaining regular-season contests and finish the season with a winning record. The game this Saturday marks Senior Night for the Spartans. Look for seniors Rojay Smith, Jake Richards, Adrian Constantine, and Marcus Menniti (Grad.) to make their final impressions as Spartans and be heavily utilized against the Panthers
About the Panthers: Florida Tech has dropped its last two match-ups (both against SSC opponents) and has fallen in the DII Rankings from #4 overall to #16 in the nation. Tech will look for a bounce-back game against the Spartans. The Panthers have been superb defensively this season, limiting opponents to 0.67 goals per game. The Panthers have only allowed 40 shots on goal all season, which is 3.33 per game (8 goals allowed, 32 saves). As a team, the Panthers have six shutouts on the season (5 victories 1 tie). Florida Tech has been incredible passing the ball, assisting 27 times on 23 goals scored. Keep an eye on senior Guillermo Sergovia. The forward from Spain leads Tech in both goals and assists. He scored 5 goals and had 1 assist last season, making great improvements.
All-Time Series: Tampa has a 35-15-6 record historically versus Florida Tech, including 22-6-1 at home. In the last 10 match-ups the Spartans are 5-3-2, having tied 2-2 a season ago (10/28/2018).
Tickets: General Admission ticket prices for all Tampa regular season athletic events are $5. Youth (ages 12 and under) are admitted free of charge. Students and faculty/staff are admitted free with a valid UT ID.
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