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Tampa Stays Perfect with Ranked Victory in Hickory
February 7, 2026

Tampa Stays Perfect with Ranked Victory in Hickory

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HICKORY, N.C. – No. 2 Tampa remained unbeaten as they take down No. 7 Lenoir-Rhyne 13-10. 

How It Happened

  • Tampa struck first in the opening quarter when Zack Friend scored off a feed from Zach Johnson to give the Spartans the early advantage.

  • After Lenoir-Rhyne evened the score, Grant Green restored Tampa's lead midway through the quarter on an assist from Tommy Ortega.

  • The Bears answered again to tie things up, but Jackson Bashaw responded with an unassisted goal before Rex Kesselring added another late in the period to push the Spartans ahead 4-2.

  • Lenoir-Rhyne opened the second quarter scoring to trim the deficit, but Eric Burbank quickly countered with an unassisted strike.

  • The Bears continued applying pressure, scoring twice to knot the game at six before Tampa regained momentum.

  • Justin Conly converted on an assist from Kesselring, Friend later tallied his second goal of the afternoon, and Green capped the first-half scoring off a pass from Connor McDonough to send Tampa into the break with an 8-6 lead.

  • The Spartans opened the third quarter strong as McDonough netted an unassisted goal.

  • Lenoir-Rhyne responded, but Tampa delivered a decisive run with three consecutive goals — Conly finishing from Friend, Kesselring scoring off another Friend assist, and Bashaw adding his second of the day — extending the lead to 12-7.

  • The Bears scored twice late in the third to stay within striking distance, but Tampa controlled the fourth-quarter pace.

  • Kesselring completed his hat trick midway through the period on a feed from McDonough to provide insurance.

Spartan Performances

  • Kesselring led the Spartans with three goals and an assist on seven shots.

  • In net, Westin Schmidt made 13 saves across 60 minutes to earn the win.

  • Four other Spartans scored twice.

  • Conly tallied his first career goal while Burbank earned his first in the red and black uniform. 

Up Next: The Spartans continue their road stretch next weekend as they prepare for their next matchup against the Saints on Saturday, February 14 at 1:00 p.m.