Spartans Earn Spot In Final Soccer Standings
KANSAS CITY, Kan. - The University of Tampa women's soccer team earned mention as the No. 16 team in the nation in the final installment of the NSCAA/HendrickCars.com national rankings.
"We are all delighted to be back amongst the top teams in the nation after a disappointing 2009 campaign," says head coach Gerry Lucey. "We feel that the program is on the rise once again and we had a young squad this year that performed extremely well."
The Sunshine State Conference tournament champions and NCAA South Regional finalists finished the season with a 16-5-2 overall record while winning the program's fourth SSC tourney title. The 16 victories also ranks fourth in program history for most wins in a season.
"Many times this season we had seven freshmen on the field gaining valuable expereince, even against nationally ranked opponents," says Lucey. "As a squad we also know how close we were to the NCAA Final Four and that both frustrates and excites us. We tied Grand Valley 1-1 in the preseason and to see them go on and win the national title back to back and winning in such emphatic fashion gives us strength."
UT earned its first national ranking of the season in final regular season poll as it appeared at No. 17. The Spartans were no strangers to national competition, playing six matches against nationally ranked opponents.
"From talking with the players they are determined to build upon this year and try to get back into the playoffs next year and bring home the big prize," says Lucey. "It's been a great season for the program and gaining this national recognition is a nice pat on the back for the players and coaches."