Tampa Falls in Triple Overtime

Winter Park, Fla. - The University of Tampa men's soccer team battled valiantly before dropping a 1-1 match (8-7 shootout) in a triple overtime match to Florida Tech that featured 22 shots in the shootout between the two teams in the Sunshine State Conference tournament. The Spartans finish the 2006 season with an 8-10-1 record while winning three of their final four matches.

The Spartans outshot the Panthers 41-9 on the match and led most of the game following a Ricardo Cardoso goal six minutes into the contest. Gregg Emmerman assisted Tampa's leading scorer as the Spartans held the lead for nearly 50 minutes before Florida Tech evened the score at one.

Cardoso finished the match with 11 shots while Chad Burt and Keeron Benito each totaled seven apiece while Ryan Maxwell had six. Goalkeeper Mike Devore faced eight shots, making two saves for Tampa.

The Spartans are optimistic for the 2007 season as they return their top nine scorers and top two goalkeepers from this season's squad that outscored its opponents 12-5 in the final four matches.