#9 Tampa Blanks Florida Tech In SSC Matchup

MELBOURNE, Fla. - The ninth-ranked University of Tampa men's soccer team rode a late second half goal to a 1-0 shutout of Sunshine State Conference opponent Florida Tech. Some late heroics from Spartan goalkeeper Ryan Thompson preserved the win for Tampa, which is now 12-1-1 on the season, 6-1 in SSC play. The Panthers move to 7-8 overall, 2-5 in conference play.

"The difference-maker today was Ryan Thompson," Head Coach Adrian Bush said. "To come into today as a game time decision and for him to deliver that type of performance is nothing short of amazing."

The Spartans outshot the Panthers 9-5 in the first half, but neither team could breakthrough on the scoreboard. Both squads came out aggressive in the second half before National Player of the Year candidate Pascal Milien scored his team-leading 10th goal of the season with assists from Lister Warren and Brian Fekete in the 79th minute of the contest.

Thompson made several impressive saves in the waning minutes, ensuring the 1-0 victory and his third shutout of the year. The senior goalkeeper finished the contest with six saves, while Florida Tech's Derrick Hackett finished with five.

Bush continued, "I'm proud of our result and ability to close out the week with two conference wins."

The Spartans return home on Monday for a 7 p.m. contest against visiting Johnson & Wales before they close out SSC and regular season play against Saint Leo on Thursday. Fans may follow University of Tampa athletics on Twitter (www.twitter.com/utspartans) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/tampaspartans). UT also offers eScores, which is a free text messaging service that sends text alerts following all Spartan events.