Lions Slip Past Spartans

TAMPA, Fla.-The University of Tampa men's soccer team fell to Sunshine State Conference opponent and No. 7 ranked Saint Leo University by a 3-1 margin on rainy Tuesday night at Pepin Stadium.

The Spartans drop to 6-5-2, 2-4-0 in conference, with the Lions improving to 10-1-1, 4-0-1 in the SSC.

Saint Leo got off to an early start as midfielder Manuel Schoenhuber scored an unassisted goal in the 28th minute. Goalkeeper David Niepel dove for the shot but was unsuccessful in the half.

The Spartans quickly evened up the score with a Tyler Blackwood goal off of both Dorado Phipps and Jesus Gonzalez. A fast break from Phipps to Gonzalez to Blackwood for the finish put the team back in the game.

Saint Leo prevailed through the second half upping the score to three. Within ten minutes, the Lions' Max Geisthovel found the back of the net from Edgar Herrera. Josh Davis quickly followed suit with an unassisted goal despite the defensive prowess of Alex Knaggs.

Tampa outshot Saint Leo in both halves by 13-7 overall but was unable to convert into a victory. The Spartans' hard fought efforts went unrewarded throughout the onslaught.

The team returns to action on Oct. 25 to host the Barry University Buccaneers at 7 p.m. in Pepin Stadium. Live stats and a video broadcast will be available through TampaSpartans.tv.

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