No. 1 Tampa Tampa Eyes 12th Straight Win Over Saint Leo

SAINT LEO, Fla. – The No. 1 University of Tampa women's lacrosse team continues Sunshine State Conference play this week with a road matchup against No. 10 Saint Leo University.

The Matchup: No. 1 University of Tampa (12-1, 3-1 SSC) vs. No. 10 Saint Leo University (10-4, 1-3 SSC)

Date/Time: Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at 6:00 p.m.

Location: University Turf Stadium, 33701 State Road 52, Saint Leo, FL 33574

Series History: Tampa holds a dominant 11-2 record over the Saint Leo Lions, dating back to the programs' first meeting in 2014. Since dropping the first two matchups, the Spartans have reeled off 11 consecutive wins. Five of the last seven contests have seen Tampa hold Saint Leo to single-digit scoring, including an emphatic 18-1 win in 2023, the largest margin of victory in series history.

About the Spartans: The University of Tampa returned to the top of the IWLCA national rankings after wins over No. 15 Rollins and No. 20 Florida Tech. The offense continues to surge behind Peyton Howell, who scored 13 goals last week and earned her second SSC Offensive Player of the Week honor this season. On the defensive end, goalkeeper Savvy Barbosa posted back-to-back double-digit save performances, totaling 22 saves across the two wins. She now leads the conference with a .509 save percentage and earned her eighth win of the season.

About the Lions: Despite a strong overall record at 10-4, Saint Leo has struggled in conference play, sitting at 1-3 and riding a three-game SSC losing streak. After opening with a win over then No. 20 Florida Tech, the Lions have fallen to No. 6 Lynn, No. 4 Embry-Riddle, and No. 3 Florida Southern, allowing an average of 17 goals per game in those losses. The Lions now prepare to host the No. 1 team in the nation, as Tampa comes to town with three players currently ranked in the top five for goals per game across the SSC.