Undefeated Tampa Up To No. 4 in Women’s Soccer Poll
KANSAS CITY, Kan. - The University of Tampa women's soccer team has moved up one spot to No. 4 in the latest NSCAA/Continental Tire NCAA Division II poll.
Tampa was No. 5 last week after opening at No. 8 in the preseason poll. UT has now been ranked all four weeks this season.
UT is the lone SSC school in the top-25. Regional foe West Florida sits at No. 11 as it looks to defend its national championship crown. Fellow SSC opponent Florida Tech is also listed as receiving votes.
Last week, Tampa picked up a pair of victories, beginning with a 3-2 overtime win at Barry. UT then returned home and dealt Nova Southeastern with a 3-0 loss on Saturday.
Offensively, two-time SSC Player of the Week Gabby Russo leads the Spartans with six goals and 16 points. The junior ranks seventh in the nation in assists (4), eighth in goals and fifth in points. Jess Frank and Emily Jones lead all Spartans with six assists, which leads the nation as the duo is also third in the country in assists per game (0.86). Jenny Karl's four assists also place her at No. 7 nationally.
Tampa's defense has registered six shutouts and outscored its opponents 33-2 through seven games. Goalkeeper Kori Butterfield is the national leader in GAA (0.00) and save percentage (1.000) as she has registered eight saves through five contests.
As a team, UT ranks first in the nation in assists (5.0 APG) and scoring offense (4.71). The Spartans are also sixth in shutout percentage (.857) and 10th in GAA (0.285).
UT has now been ranked for 11 consecutive weeks. Additionally, UT has earned a mention in the poll in a total of 12 seasons, including 11 straight. Head coach Gerry Lucey is also on the verge of a personal milestone as he has 93 career wins at UT.
The Spartans host Palm Beach Atlantic on Wednesday at 7 p.m., and travel to Florida Southern for a Saturday meeting with the Mocs at 5 p.m. Live stats and a video broadcast will be available for the home game through TampaSpartans.tv. Live stats for the Florida Southern game will be available through TampaSpartans.com.