Forget Florida-Alabama.
There is another looming clash of titans in the collegiate world and one that very few will know about. Normally at this point of the season, traditional Sunshine State Conference powers Tampa and Florida Southern are one and two in the standings. This season hasn’t panned out how the Mocs wanted it to, leaving the Spartans chasing an unusual foe, Saint Leo.
The Lions are enjoying unprecedented success at a 23-2 record and a perfect 10-0 in conference play which as earned them a No. 14 ranking, the highest in the program’s history. SLU is also in the midst of a 20-game winning streak. Included in that streak, for the first time ever, were the Spartans who suffered a 3-0 loss in the friendly Martinez Center back on Oct. 3. While the games were closely contested, Saint Leo displayed all their weapons as the combination of Bruna Rocha, Emily Calderon-Reyes, and Kaitlin McKenna slammed down 42 kills at an insane .457 hitting percentage. Rocha herself was a human highlight reel converting 21 of 39 with zero errors. So much so, that Tampa head coach Chris Catanach labeled Rocha as probably the best player in the conference, and one that can put a team on her back and carry it to victory when needed.
It could be safe to say that the loss struck a chord with the young Spartans. Since being handed just its second loss of the season, Tampa has reeled off eight straight victories and 24 consecutive games. That streak has included two ranked teams and several key regional games. All this has come without the Spartans top freshman Jessica Yingling, who was a key offensive source before being sidelined with an injury. Nevertheless, Tampa has gotten contributions from all over and continues to win games.
While Catanach would never allow his team to do so, it appears as these Spartans have their eyes set on that Nov. 4 rematch. Should both teams win its prior two matches leading up to it, the contest will not only have SSC title implications, but regional ones as well since both squads are well ahead in the rankings. The winner will more then likely host the postseason tournament while the loser will have a slightly tougher journey to reaching the Elite Eight.
Though there are still a few matches left after the showdown, the game will probably set the tone for the remainder of the season and one that can carry over into the regional tournament, where it’s very possible that Tampa and Saint Leo will once again duke it out. That time though, would be for the right to play with the nation’s best.
Last night’s matchup between the No. 2 University of Tampa men’s soccer team and ninth-ranked Rollins College featured many firsts for the Spartans: the first time sophomore Greg O’Connor put one in the net, the first time an opponent has scored more than one goal, the first time the Spartans failed to tie a match in which they were behind, and consequently, the first time Tampa has lost this season.
The Tars put on a show in the first half in front of their home crowd, notching two goals in the final ten minutes of the period to develop a commanding lead. Early in the second half, Rollins added another goal to make it 3-0—a surprising advantage against the nation’s second-ranked squad.
Slow starts have been the Achilles’ heel for Tampa this season and last night was the first time the Spartans couldn’t rebound from their initial deficit. Following the Tars’ third goal, Dan Ingvarsson footed a rocketing free kick into the back of the net and O’Connor added a goal to pull Tampa to within one, but the clock dwindled and the Spartans’ hope for an undefeated season went along with it.
The truest test of character for this team, as head coach Adrian Bush put it, will be on Wednesday night when the squad travels to Nova Southeastern. The Spartans will look to up their game now, using this loss as a wakeup call for a team that knows it can do better.
One loss does not, by any means, spell the end to Tampa’s season. Better now than in the postseason. Now, the team looks forward to a playoff meeting with Rollins. What is on the line? Redemption and ultimately the biggest triumph among the league’s elite.
The last game is over. Ahead is the next game.
Every fall at the University of Tampa, one can always expect Spartan volleyball to compete for a conference title and make a run in the NCAA tournament. That’s just the type of program head coach Chris Catanach spent the last 25 years building. However in his 26th, he’s being presented with yet another new challenge: winning with no seniors on the team. Despite this, the Spartans entered the season tabbed as the 10th best squad in Division II and the conference favorite. Now whether it be a testimony to Catanach’s reputation or the fact that the reigning South Regional Player of the Year is back, it was easy to question if it would be too much pressure for such a young group to handle. But head SID Tom Kolbe told me before the season, “Just watch this team get better, and better every match”. And they certainly have.
UT opened the season 3-0 at home, but they blew a 2-0 lead to Wheeling Jesuit (4-3) and looked rather sluggish against a lowly Georgian Court (1-3) team. Then they had to fly out to Denver for the prestigious Colorado Premier Challenge, a tournament of 12 teams, nine of whom were ranked in the top 25.
After a good practice on the eve of the first day of the Premier, Catanach told his bunch that they had just as good as technique and skill of any team participating, and to simply throw out anything in the way of allowing them to become a unified team. Whatever that obstacle was, disappeared when Tampa stepped on the court the next afternoon and swept a solid Northwest Nazarene team. Actually whatever it was had yet to return as Tampa then swept 25th-ranked Augustana.
Then it was time for the ultimate measuring stick to see where this young team really stood. That mile-high (no pun intended) measuring tape came in the form of the Concordia-St. Paul Golden Bears. The unanimous No. 1 team in the nation. The defending national champions. The team that had dropped only one game in six matches (three of those wins coming against ranked opponents).
The Spartans came out anxious and eager, however a little too eager. As serves went too long, and attacks missed their marks, Concordia was quickly up 2-0. Then the team that played the day before, and the team they strive to be showed up. Freshmen, sophomores, juniors, all contributing and having their way with the vaunted Concordia offense to stay alive and push the Golden Bears to a fourth game. The momentum continued all the way to the brink of a possible fifth game, when No. 1 took their place back, slamming down 20 kills to effectively end the threat.
Whichever way that match would’ve ended, it would have serve as great tool and learning experience. It became quickly noticeable too as the Spartans turned around a few hours later and beat No. 15 West Florida 3-0 to claim third place in the Premier. Not only did they beat a key regional rival, but they beat the team that essentially owned them a season ago and knocked them out of the regional tournament.
So as we check out and head back to Tampa, it’s safe to say that this trip served as a huge building block for a team needing to gain all the experience it could. Whether it was actually playing as a team, or freaking out as a team while we drove over a nine-mile dirt path through the Rocky Mountains, these young Spartans certainly have heeded Catanach’s words. Let’s hope they continue to heed Mr. Kolbe’s as well.
After each and every game, some players become curious as to what I might write in the game story. Most of the time, the players are just joking. The credit is never as meaningful as the team result. Sometimes these players tell me, lightheartedly, what I should include. Some instances?
“The sophomore sensations, Ryan Griffin and Karl Swan, controlled the middle of the field 70-30 tonight against Clayton State.” – Ryan Griffin
“Hamza was the absolute best looking man on the field” – Hamza El Haouati
“Fekete was hands down the ugliest man on the field tonight.” – Karl Swan
“Austin played the game of his life.” – Austin Fetzer
(This one was actually written down for me, so I wouldn’t forget) “Although the crowd was quite a factor in the game, Goddard kept the bench fired up, pushing the Spartans through the challenge.” – Clete Goddard
Good thing I never listen to them.
I was recently attending a local minor league baseball game to watch a friend of mine on the opposing team play. As I was watching batting practice, I was scouting out his strengths and weaknesses; where he needs to improve and where he has the advantage; and at which position gave him the best opportunity to succeed within this organization. I have been working in sports for years, and as a fan I look at the game differently. After working mainly in college sports, I have the joy of looking at the game and route for a player to succeed as we do with our college athletes; where we can give constructive criticism and not deconstructive criticism, where we worry about the development of a player on and off the field and not his private life and celebrity.
Down the first base line a group of kids are getting their gloves, programs, and balls signed by the home team’s catcher- a man predicted to start at the major league level in 2012. It hasn’t gone to his head yet. A five-year old boy beams with glee as a he tossed a ball by his new found hero. The boy hasn’t heard his new hero’s name in the Mitchell Report or him and his agent haggling over money. All he knows is the magic and innocence that the game holds at this level.
My friend is having a decent day. He bobbled the ball on a grounder to the outfield and the base runner made the unwise decision to test his arm. He is 2-3 with an RBI so far as he fouls the first pitch into a sea of blue seats, the ball skipping along like a flat stone being tossed into a tranquil pond. The children scurry to get the prize; and while my friend is worry about how he is going to hit this left-hander’s low sinking curve ball he is unaware that he just gave a ten-year old girl her first magical memory of baseball as she beats the group of boys racing for that foul ball.
Minor League baseball gives us a chance to go back in time when baseball was just a game; where passion runs through the veins of the players on the field- not greed, and where we can share and create memories with our children that can last a lifetime. Maybe this Father’s Day you can do just that by taking your family out to the ballgame. If you are lucky you can catch one of our former Tampa Spartans in action:
Charlie Manning RP Memphis Redbirds (Cardinals AAA) – Manning is 0-2 with a 4.63 ERA. He is a mid-reliever that has only given up no runs and only one hit in his last three outings. The Redbirds will be in Des Moines, Iowa on Father’s Day taking on the Iowa Cubs.
Mike Rabelo C New Orleans Zephyrs (Marlins AAA) – Rabelo has been out all season due to an injury. The Zephyrs will be in Round Rock, Tex. on Father’s Day to take on the Round Rock Express.
Sergio Perez SP Corpus Christi Hooks (Astros AA) – Perez is 5-5 with a 4.76 ERA. He has had two quality starts in which he pitched six innings of shutout ball against the Frisco Rough Riders and the Midland Rock Hounds. The Hooks will be in Frisco, Tex. on Father’s Day to take on the Frisco Rough Riders.
JR Hopf C Huntsville Stars (Brewers AA) – Hopf is batting .183 and has played in 38 games. Of his eight RBIs on the season, five are with runners in scoring position. In 2008 he shined in a brief stint at the AAA level batting .340 in 20 games. The Stars will be in Birmingham, Ala. on Father’s Day to take on the Birmingham Barons.
Lee Cruz DH Winston Salem Dash (White Sox A-Advanced) – Cruz began the season at Double A Birmingham where he hit .240 with 1HR and 8 RBIs. Since his demotion, he has improved to a .263 clip with 3 HR and 14 RBIs. The Dash will be in Wilmington, Del. on Father’s Day to take on the Wilmington Blue Rocks.
Nolan Brannon C Arizona Angels (Angels A – Rookie) – Brannon did have one at-bat for Double A Arkansas of the Texas League this season before being assigned to the Arizona Angels. Last year with the Arizona Angels he was 104 with a double with 2 RBIs. The Arizona Angels have not begun play yet this year.
Craig Corrado 2B Lancaster JetHawks (Astros A-Advanced) – Through 54 games this year, Corrado is batting .206 with 7 doubles, 4 triples, and 19 RBIs. He went 4-4 with 3 doubles against High Desert on June 14th. The JetHawks are in Modesto, Calif. on Father’s Day to take on the Modesto Nuts.
Paul Cruz OF Quad City River Bandits (Cardinals A) – Cruz is hitting .254 with 3 HR, 6 doubles, and 17 RBIs. He is batting .350 with 13 RBIs with runners in scoring position this year. The River Bandits will be in Beloit, Wis. on Father’s Day to take on the Beloit Snappers.
Kevin Ferguson RP Arizona Angles (Angels A-Rookie) – Ferguson was 2-0 with a 6.75 with 16K last year for the Arizona Angels in relief. The team has yet to begin their 2009 season.
Jonathan Holt P Kinston Indians (Indians A-Advanced) – Holt is 1-2 with a 4.36 ERA. He has made three starts and pitched in 18 games overall this season. The Indians will be in Lynchburg, Va. on Father’s Day to take on the Lynchburg Hillcats.
Chris Rosenbaum C Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Angels A-Advanced) – Rosenbaum is making the most of his back-up role this season hitting .455 with a .500 SLG and a 1.062 OPS in twelve games this season. The Quakes will be home on Father’s Day to take on the Lake Elsinore Storm.
On Sunday, June 14 Spartacus – a familar sight at UT athletic events – joined Phinley and a slew of other mascots at Bright House Field to celebrate Phinley’s birthday. Phinley is the much beloved shark mascot of the Clearwater Threshers.
Spartacus joined several other mascot buddies in partying it up on the beautiful Sunday afternoon.
“It was quite an honor to get an invitation to join Phinley and his friends for his birthday,” Spartacus said in a prepared statement. “As an added bonus, I did get to pick up a few mascots’ digits.”
Phinley was unable to be reached for comment.
Photo from milb.com
I’m sitting here preparing a release on a pair of additions to the women’s basketball team (while murmuring under my breath about this office’s sudden lack of a tape recorder), and I realize that I’m suddenly ready for it to be November again. No, not because of the ferocious heat that is the Florida summer, but rather because I want to see what the 2009-2010 team can do to top the 2008-2009 team.
A look forward to the future would be incomplete without a momentary reflection on the past. Last season the Spartans entered the year without the pressure of expectations after graduating four of five starters from the year prior. And they performed exceptionally – the team went on to establish a program record in wins (26) while capturing a share of the SSC regular season title along with its third SSC tournament championship in four years.
But the season came to a screeching halt in Cleveland, Miss. in the second game of the NCAA South Regional at Delta State. It seemed as if the Spartans would be crushed by Ouachita Baptist, but a furious comeback effort pulled Tampa back into it late, only to fall just short as Gianna Messina’s three-point try just missed.
It would be easy to convince me that the loss was a good thing. Sure, it was an undesired way for the careers of Whitney Porter, Hailee Sullivan and Kym Taylor to end – and those three will be missed. However, a sour taste should linger in the mouths of those returning. The feeling of being so close yet not quite making it should serve as strong motivation.
The 2009-2010 squad will have to deal with expectations. The Messina twins, Caitlyn Mitryk, Tiara Cook, Angela Guiu – they’re all back. Sarah Wickham showed what she can do in the OT thriller at Barry and she’ll be back. Oh, and then there’s that most-successful-coach-in-program-history guy, too.
It’s just a matter of what the team will do with those expectations. Will it crumble under the pressure? Or will it use them as something to strive for (and beyond)?
Something tells me it will be the latter and the streak of 20-win seasons isn’t about to end.
So while I’m immensely excited to see what kind of successes the fall teams at UT can rack up, I would be lying if I didn’t admit that I wish the calendar would fly towards November.
With the fall season right around the corner, The University of Tampa men’s soccer team is expecting big things from the team following a run all the way to the NCAA II Final Four, where it lost in overtime to eventual national champion Cal State-Dominguez Hills.
UT will be led by All-American Pascal Milien in 2009 as he expects to be among the contenderas for National Player of the Year. In the following picture, Milien (right) is pictured with 2008 All-American Ryan Maxwell (left) and head coach (middle) at the 2008 NSCAA Awards Ceremony.
So that’s it. Spring sports at The University of Tampa have officially come to an end and it’s summertime at UT. The Spartan baseball squad dropped what would end up being its final game on Saturday, falling 10-5 to Valdosta State. Despite the loss to the Blazers, the ninth inning saw a nice, fitting moment.
Team captain Jose Jimenez came up to bat with one on and two outs and took the 3-2 pitch from VSU’s Jeremy Forbus well over the right field wall in his last collegiate at-bat after a stellar four-year career at UT. Jimenez, who had decided to return for his senior season after being drafted in 2008 by the Los Angeles Angels, will be missed next season and should end up in the UT Hall of Fame sometime in the future. Jimenez also broke the single season walks record, collecting 55 on the year, one more than the previous record that he and head coach Joe Urso had shared for the past two years.
The other bright note? Following the game, we took a private charter back to Tampa from Shreveport. Granted, I slept most of the way, but XM satellite radio built in to your spacious seat is not a bad way to fly. Makes up for the fact that I’ve got to make a 12-hr. drive back home to Kentucky tomorrow.
The “one game at a time” philosophy of the #10 University of Tampa Spartans in Arkansas speaks volumes. After dropping their first regional tournament game 11-8 (f/10) to Lynn University, the Spartans stormed back in today’s contest to eliminate Stillman College and keep their own dream alive.
Tampa put up huge offensive numbers in the 21-8 game, including a 5-for-6 performance from Devin Gonzalez.
The game also saw some players in unfamiliar positions. Almost every player on the 24-man roster entered the game in some capacity. Danny Keefe, a top pitcher with UT, had his first career at-bat, just missing a hit when he flew out to left. In the ninth, Daniel Foltz, another Tampa pitcher, donned some eye black and played right field. After pitcher Brandan Teague left in the ninth with an injury, second baseman Brenton Cianci took the mound for the first time in his four years at UT. Without a second baseman, the Spartans’ usual closer Alex Koronis was set to show off his defensive abilities, taking over the position for the final two outs. Cianci put up zeroes across the board and Koronis made the final putout to seal the win for Tampa.
If the Spartans hope to continue their run toward a national championship, they’ll have to do so through the South Region loser’s bracket. The double-elimination format gives Tampa a reason to believe they can go on as they say goodbye to Sunshine State Conference Champion Barry, who fell first to Valdosta State yesterday and then to West Alabama earlier today.
UT will play a 1 p.m. EST game tomorrow against the loser of Valdosta State/Florida Southern. Livestats will be available as will a full video broadcast.
Oh, and thanks, 2, I’m glad to know that times don’t apply to me.
