The University of Tampa women’s soccer team has endured several highs and lows this season, yet none of the momentum swings have seemed substantial enough to jar them off track. They started 0-2 after a trip to the City of Brotherly Love, losing to Philadelphia University and West Chester University. They recovered with a few keys wins against non-conference opponents. And the last two conference games against Rollins College and Lynn haven’t been so successful, either. On the other hand, they’re over .500 at 6-4-1. Also, Coach Lucey hit the milestone 100th win on Sept. 30th.
“The milestone was a result of the team’s success,” Lucey said. “All of the rewards of that are because of the team.”
Lucey was humble about his milestone, and perhaps rightfully so. A milestone like a 100th win can look great on a coaching resume, but a season defined by a mediocre record does not.
True, there have been some tough losses so far. The losses in Philadelphia were frustrating, and Lucey and his players cited the long grass as the difference. Long grass can slow the game down, which plays into the hands of a team that may be more tactically sound, whereas they may lack the physical prowess of their opponent.
“8-1-1 would be a better reflection of how we’ve played. Unfortunately, the surfaces in Philadelphia with the long grass did not suit our style of play,” Lucey said.
Four wins in a row right after that have shown that the team means business, though. They looked strong and they worked together in their wins over Webber International, Mercy, Valdosta State, and Georgia College. The Spartans outscored their opponents 27-2 over those four games. Their camaraderie has been on full display, mainly in terms of their record.
Despite being 6-4-1, the Spartans are 0-2 in conference play. They face an improved Florida Tech team on Oct. 9. Tech boasts an 8-2 record overall, and they’re 2-2 in the conference. The Sunshine State Conference is a tough conference to be in, because teams are always beating one another equally, all records aside thus far.
“The conference has nine teams, eight of which can beat any other on any given day,” Lucey said.
Lucey’s right. So far, most of the teams in the conference have played four games. Rollins is the only team that hasn’t gone without winning. The Spartans only have two conference games so far, both of which they have lost. But they have the opportunity to turn it around on Sunday against Florida Tech. That game will best show the Spartans to how they measure up in the conference.
“Florida Tech is a tough team,” Lucey said. “They knock around the ball pretty well. It will be a good matchup.”
The Spartans have a long road ahead, but Lucey believes they have the right pieces to build a winning team, and a team that can go deep into conference tournament play.
“Gabby Russo has been a good player for us,” Lucey said. “She’s a freshman and she’s already seen a lot of playing time.”
Russo played her high school ball in Masconomet, Ma. She was the Cal League Most Valuable Player and she was All-State.
Her promising career in high school made her a prime candidate for landing a starting spot in the lineup. She has yet to disappoint. She has three goals and eight assists already, and believes that every component of the team has been clicking.
“I think everyone who steps out on the field makes an impact. I think Shannon Walisch is doing great keeping our defense organized, as well as Sam Kay who continuously works hard,” Russo said. “Offensively I think Marta Bertsos, Brittan Spence and [Jazmin] Perry are big contributors, most of them have been together for four years so they click real well together and create good scoring opportunities.”
The Spartans are showing some promise this year. They just have to stay consistent.
Greg Spracklin can be reached at gspracklin@spartans.ut.edu.