Late Comeback Fall Short for Spartans in Palm Beach

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The University of Tampa women's soccer team dropped a hard-fought Sunshine State Conference road contest, falling 2–1 to Palm Beach Atlantic on Saturday evening at the Rinker Athletic Campus.

With the loss, Tampa falls to 2–3–1 overall and 0–2–0 in SSC play, while Palm Beach Atlantic improves to 2–3–3 and 1–0–1 in the league.

The Sailfish struck first in the 28th minute when Madison Kovar converted off an assist from Abigail Longstaff to give the hosts a 1–0 halftime advantage. Longstaff later doubled the lead in the 65th minute with an unassisted goal, putting Tampa in a two-goal deficit.

The Spartans battled back late, breaking through in the 80th minute as senior forward Brooke Kittner scored her first goal of the season, finishing a setup from Brielle Johnston.

Tampa pressed for an equalizer with several late chances and finished with a 16–9 edge in shots and an 8–2 margin in corner kicks, but Palm Beach Atlantic held on for the 2–1 result.

Tampa goalkeeper Lia Doohan recorded three saves, including a key stop on a penalty kick in the 63rd minute that kept the Spartans within reach.

Top Tampa Performers

• Brooke Kittner – 1 goal, 4 shots (2 on goal), 55 minutes played
• Brielle Johnston – 1 assist, 2 shots, 59 minutes played
• Jalen Haas – 4 shots (all on target), 90 minutes played
• Sydni Dennis – 3 shots, 74 minutes played
• Lia Doohan – 3 saves, 90 minutes in goal