Dec. 5, 2008 is a date the members of the University of Tampa men’s soccer team will never forget. It was the day the Spartans’ remarkable run at a national title ended in a heartbreaking 3-2 overtime loss to Cal State-Dominguez Hills.’ ‘
Having been in their exact position only a few years ago, I could identify with the emotions they were going through when that final whistle blew all too well. The pain of such a big loss is unexplainable, but so is the determination it instills in you.
‘Honestly, it was the worst thing I’ve ever gone through in my life,’ said junior captain Ryan Thompson. ‘I didn’t want to look at a soccer ball the entire [holiday] break.’
With only the first week of spring training under their belts, I can personally attest to the newfound ambition and enthusiasm implanted in the men’s team.
A handful of them attend UT’s weight and running coach Rafael Ruiz’s optional 5:30 a.m. workouts on top of team practices and team weight lifting/running sessions with Ruiz.
I can look out my window (fourth floor Straz) at any moment and see multiple players on the field or running on the track; at night time I see them playing in pick-up games with each other.’
‘I’ve never seen this before,’ Thompson said. ‘We’re still in the process of getting over what happened to us, but everyone has been working so much harder, and players are actually going out to do stuff on their own. We are working on getting better individually right now.’
Although they only lost two players, both to the MLS (Ryan Maxwell to New England Revolution and Sean Bucknor to FC Dallas), the team has been spending the last couple of weeks still coming together as a whole.’
‘Maxwell and Bucknor are true inspirations,’ Thompson said. ‘They have motivated all of us to work even harder, and the level of intensity at practices has been amazing.’
Head coach Adrian Bush hasn’t stopped giving his team positive advice throughout this whole ordeal. He is keeping the guys focused on their overall goals’hellip;one which ends with a national championship next season.
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