Spartans to Face Florida Southern in SSC Championship

How It Happened

Saint Leo struck first in the opening minutes, but Tampa quickly responded behind a dominant performance from Peyton Howell. The Spartans closed the first quarter on a 3–0 run, all scored by Howell, to take a 3–1 lead.

Tampa extended its momentum in the second quarter, opening with a goal from Jenna Myhal before weathering a Saint Leo surge that tied the game at 4–4. The Spartans answered emphatically, scoring four of the final five goals in the period—including strikes from Myhal, Audrey Kahoun, Alexa Borges, and Mary Kate Person—to carry an 8–5 advantage into halftime.

Saint Leo mounted a brief push in the third quarter, scoring twice to cut the deficit to one. Tampa responded with another key run, as Person and Howell connected before Howell added her fifth of the night in the final seconds of the frame, giving the Spartans an 11–7 lead heading into the fourth.

In the final period, Tampa maintained control. Person opened the scoring before Howell added another to extend the lead. After Saint Leo trimmed the margin to four, the Spartans closed strong with late goals from Maddie Szyluk and Josie Bullock to secure the 15–9 victory.

Spartan Performances

• Peyton Howell led all scorers with a dominant six-goal performance, including three in the opening quarter.
• Mary Kate Person added a hat trick with three goals, while Jenna Myhal contributed two.
• Alexa Borges, Audrey Kahoun, Maddie Szyluk, and Josie Bullock each found the back of the net.
• Tampa controlled possession with a 19–8 advantage in draw controls, led by strong efforts from Isabella Avila and Kierstyn Zinter.
• Savvy Barbosa anchored the defense in goal, recording 10 saves in the complete-game victory.

Up Next

The Spartans will face Florida Southern at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday at Berend Field.