Tampa Begins Conference Play With Victory

TAMPA, Fla. – No. 3 University of Tampa continued its dominant run on Saturday night, defeating Florida Southern 14-7 at Naimoli Stadium. The Spartans improved to 10-1 overall and 1-0 in Sunshine State Conference play behind a high-powered offensive performance and strong defensive effort.

How It Happened

Florida Southern struck first just over a minute into the contest, but Tampa quickly responded and took control of the opening quarter. Eric Burbank tied the game off a feed from Grant Green before Tommy Ortega gave the Spartans the lead minutes later. Burbank added his second of the night, and Ortega followed with back-to-back goals to cap a five-goal first quarter, giving Tampa a 5-1 advantage.

The Spartans continued to build momentum in the second quarter as Green extended the lead on an assist from Burbank. After Florida Southern found the back of the net midway through the period, Rex Kesselring responded with a goal from Justin Conly to send Tampa into halftime with a 7-2 lead.

Florida Southern opened the third quarter with a goal, but Tampa answered with a dominant stretch. Jackson Bashaw sparked the run off a Burbank assist, followed by goals from Kesselring, Sam Forte, and Green to push the lead to 11-3. The Moccasins added one late in the quarter, but the Spartans remained firmly in control.

In the fourth, Tampa continued its offensive pressure as Burbank completed his hat trick off another assist from Green, and Kyle White added an unassisted goal. Florida Southern attempted a late push with three consecutive goals, but Zack Friend sealed the victory with a goal in the final minutes to secure the 14-7 win.

Spartan Performances

• Burbank led the Spartans with a six-point night, recording three goals and three assists, while Ortega added a hat trick with three goals.
• Green contributed a strong all-around performance with two goals and two assists, while Kesselring added two goals of his own.
• Bashaw, Forte, White, and Friend each found the back of the net to round out Tampa's scoring.
• Conly and Aaron Cho facilitated the offense with two and one assists, respectively, while Matthew Vara also added an assist.
• At the faceoff X, Tampa split possessions, with MP Thomas and Ryan Thomas combining for 12 wins.
• The Spartans controlled the ground ball battle, collecting 31 compared to Florida Southern's 27.
• Defensively, Tampa limited Florida Southern to 24 shots while forcing 14 turnovers. In goal, Westin Schmidt earned the win with six saves over three quarters, while Kyle Rolley added three saves in relief.

Up Next

Tampa will look to stay unbeaten in conference play as the Spartans continue Sunshine State Conference action on March 28 at Embry-Riddle.