Spartans Rise Two Spots in Latest Poll
KANSAS CITY, Kan. - The University of Tampa men's soccer team is now ranked No. 18 in the NSCAA/Continental Tire NCAA Division II rankings, up two spots from last week.
Tampa is one of three Sunshine State Conference schools in the top-25 as it is joined by No. 3 Rollins and No. 6 Lynn. Saint Leo and Florida Tech are also listed as receiving votes.
The Spartans now stand at 2-0-1 on the season as they opened the season with a 2-2 tie against Clayton State. UT responded with a pair of 4-0 wins over Coker and Florida Memorial in last week's home opener.
All-American Tyler Blackwood continues to lead the Spartans as the junior forward has four goals and three assists, both team honors. Kody Thomas has three goals John Bentham and Alex Knaggs have three and two assists respectively.
Senior David Niepel is back for his fourth year as the team's starting goalkeeper and has posted a pair of shutouts. He has also notched 12 saves to go with a 0.62 GAA.
UT has now been ranked for seven consecutive weeks, including all three weeks of the 2013 campaign. Additionally, UT has earned a mention in the poll in a total of 14 seasons, including seven straight.
Head coach Adrian Bush now stands at 92 career wins as he looks to become the third head coach in program history to eclipse 100 and join Tom Fitzgerald (145) and Jay Miller (120) in the club.
The Spartans travel to Barry on Wednesday before returning home to face Nova Southeastern on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Live stats and a video webcast will be available through TampaSpartans.tv.