Tampa Spartans beat Nova Southeastern to secure SSC tournament spot

The University of Tampa men’s soccer team earned a berth in the 2026 Sunshine State Conference Tournament after defeating Nova Southeastern 2-1 on Saturday night. The victory was decided at Pepin Stadium, where 500 spectators watched the Spartans rally from a first-half deficit.

Nova Southeastern took the lead in the 15th minute when Erik Krohnstad scored off an assist by Oscar Fernandez. Tampa goalkeeper Alex Hare made two saves in the first half to keep the game close, allowing the visitors to enter the break with a 1-0 advantage.

The Spartans changed the game's dynamic immediately after halftime. Tommaso Polidori converted a penalty kick in the 47th minute to tie the score. It marked his fourth goal of the season. Tampa outshot Nova Southeastern 8-0 in the second period, holding an 11-5 advantage in total shots for the match.

Tassilo Koerner scored the winning goal in the 76th minute. He buried an unassisted strike shortly after a Spartan corner kick. The defensive line held firm through the final whistle, even after Polidori received a red card in the closing minute. Hare collected the win in net, with support from Mason Clark, William Waters, and Taka Onoguchi.

The result moves Tampa to a 5-5-4 overall record and a 4-3-2 mark in conference play. The team now holds 14 points in the SSC standings. The Spartans will conclude their regular season schedule on Wednesday, October 28. They travel to Boca Raton to face Lynn University at 5:00 p.m.