UT Plays To 2-2 Draw With Central Florida

ORLANDO, Fla. - The No. 23 University of Tampa men's soccer team kicked off preseason play with a 2-2 tie against the University of Central Florida.

Senior Ryan Griffin scored both Spartan goals, with assists coming from freshman Cody Adams and senior Matt Karn.

Spartan goalkeeper David Niepel played the entire contest, finishing with five saves.

UT has a pair of preseason games remaining before facing off at No. 4 Clayton State University in its season opener, on Sept. 6 at 7:30 p.m.

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Head coach Adrian Bush quotes
On the game: "This is an encouraging result and second half tonight. For us to open against a top-team like UCF is no easy task. They have a very good team. I felt some new players stepped in and had solid contributions. Andrew Clare and Dominic Cutrofello have really been consistent performers throughout the first three days of camp. We also felt that both of them had great games tonight. It's that type of attitude, willingness to learn and work ethic that we are looking for."

Outlook moving forward: "A tie in the preseason means nothing to me. This program isn't after moral victories. We still have a lot of work to do if we expect to be a top-five team in this region. We are after wins, it's as simple as that."