
Thali's Hot Start Continues, Tampa Earns First Win of Season Against Warhawks
TAMPA, Fla. – The Spartans earned their first win of the season against the Auburn-Montgomery Warhawks at Pepin Stadium. Junior Omar Thali's goal in the 30th minute, assisted by junior Travis Foster, was all the Tampa needed.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: Tampa 1, Auburn-Montgomery 0
Records: Tampa 1-1, Auburn-Montgomery 1-1
Location: Pepin Stadium || Tampa, Fla.
Head Coach Adrian Bush on the game: "I'm happy for the players, and their response from Friday was fantastic. To hold any team in this region without a shot for 90 minutes is as tough as it gets. AUM is a very good team and well-coached. Both teams left it on the field today."
All-time series: The Spartans and Warhawks have met twice and Tampa leads the all-time series 2-0. The last meeting between the Spartans and Warhawks on 10/15/2016 ended with a 6-1 Tampa win.
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HOW IT HAPPENED:
First Half: The Spartans opened the game with a shot on a header by sophomore Ornaldo Zeqiri in the 4th minute. Junior Albert Morales had his own quality scoring chance in the 11th minute but was stopped by the Warhawks keeper, Alexander Kraus. Omar Thali scored what ended up being the game-winner in the 29th minute (assisted by Foster). Score: 1-0 Tampa
Second Half: The Spartans held the Warhawks shotless the entire match but had three shots of their own in the second half: at 69' by freshman Sean Quinn, at 87' by junior Juancho Fernandez, and at 89' by Thali. Final: 1-0 Tampa
INSIDE THE STATS:
- Omar Thali is on a blistering start to the season and has scored all three Spartan goals in the two matches they have played. He scored two goals in the season-opener against #18 West Florida.
- UT outshot the Warhawks 7-0 with three shots on goal.
UP NEXT: The Spartans are on the road for the first time this season for an evening contest with the West Alabama Tigers on Friday, September 10 at 5:00 PM.