KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Dec. 14, 2021) - The University of Tampa men's soccer team was listed at No. 21 in the United Soccer Coaches final postseason rankings for NCAA Division II men's soccer. The ranking is sponsored by Verizon, and was announced on Tuesday by the national organization.

For NCAA Division II men's soccer, California State University-Los Angeles earned the No. 1 position in the poll after jumping five spots after capturing the 2021 national championship over No. 2 University of Charleston.

Tampa is coming off a 13-5 season, where the Spartans also captured the Sunshine State Conference championship with a league record of 9-1. The season featured a six-game winning streak on two occasions, with victories over then-No. 13 Nova Southeastern and No. 3 Lynn.

The Spartan defensive unit of Agustin Baroffio, Cody Wells, Nico Gamio and Albert Morales helped goalkeeper Adam Forster limit opponents to just 20 goals in 18 matches. Forster would complete the season with a 13-4 record to go with a 0.91 GA. He would register nine shutouts, ranking second in program history.

All-Americans Omar Thali and Juancho Fernandez led the UT offensive unit as Thali led all Spartans with 10 goals and seven assists. Fernandez netted nine goals and four assists, as six of his goals went down as game-winners to lead Tampa. In all, a total of nine Spartans scored a goal in 2021.

Tampa broke into the national rankings in week four at No. 11, and was ranked as high as No. 9 on the season, which occurred four consecutive weeks. Head coach Adrian Bush's squad spent eight total weeks in the top-25 in 2021, as the three-time national champions have now appeared in the national poll a total of 120 weeks over 17 seasons.

UT was joined in the national rankings by SSC opponents Nova Southeastern (3) and Palm Beach Atlantic (13). Opponents Auburn-Montgomery (8) and West Florida (24) were also listed in the poll.

United Soccer Coaches college rankings, released every Tuesday during the regular season, are an indicator of the week-to-week status of qualified programs and in no way should be used as a guide or indicator of eligibility for championship selection. To be eligible for consideration in United Soccer Coaches college rankings, a school must be a member of the United Soccer Coaches College Services Program.

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