Spartans Finish Year In NCAA South Regional Final

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - The University of Tampa Spartans took on the Barry University Buccaneers in the NCAA South Regional Final Friday afternoon and after double OT the Spartans fell to the Buccaneers,1-0.

The first half of action ended in 0-0 draw, with several moments of excitement coming on set piece plays for Tampa including a free-kick taken by Miranda late in the first half as Ali Robinson tried to flick it past Barry Keeper Paula Forero, but the ball was just wide.

The second half action picked up where the first left off dominated by set-piece plays and hard fought defensive play. The Spartans registered eight shots in the second half and almost tripled their corner kick total with five. Despite both sides battling back and fourth the match would head to overtime to find the winner.

The parties would continue fighting looking to keep their season alive and advance to the Elite 8. The Buccaneers would eventually end the affair with just two minutes left in the second overtime period, as Shanice Robe fired a shot from the far right wing and went just past the outstretched arm of Tampa's keeper Caroline Frykgard who tallied five saves on the day.

Tampa concludes their season with a record of 13-4-5, and end the year as the No. 24 team in the country, and were ranked as high as No. 20. UT was led by first-year head coach Erin Switalski and were picked to finish fifth in the Sunshine State Conference, but exceeded all expectations as the finished third and made it to the championship in the conference tournament.

When asked about her team and their performance this season she said "Our girls played tough all year and left everything out on the field every game including today, and I could not have asked for more from them". She also went on to say "Our three seniors will be dearly missed, and I thank them for all the work they've put in and done to make this team a success on and off the field".

Fans may follow University of Tampa athletics on Twitter (www.twitter.com/tampaspartans) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/tampaspartans). UT also offers a free text messaging service that sends text alerts following all Spartan events. To sign up, please register at www.tampaspartans.com.