Box Score TAMPA, Fla. – The Spring Hill College men's soccer team played its first regular season match as a member of NCAA Division II on Saturday night at the University of Tampa and suffered a 1-0 non-conference loss to the Spartans at Pepin Stadium.

After an hour delay to the start of the game due to threatening weather, Tampa (1-1) and the Badgers found themselves knotted 0-0 at halftime as the midfielders of both teams dominated play in the first 45 minutes.

Spring Hill senior Tyler Hartlage from Tampa, Fla., provided the first highlight of the game with a shot that was saved by goalkeeper Zak Downes of the Spartans in the 26th minute. Tampa later had two scoring opportunities in the 1st half, but a Nikolai Hammer shot from 18 yards out and under a diving senior SHC keeper Patrick Danner just curled past the left goalpost and a Keith Francisco attempt from 10 yards was caught by Danner at the line while leaping to his left.

The Badgers avoided another bullet in the 49th minute when SHC senior Salvador Sanchis of Miami, Fla., just deflected a shot by Brandon Loafman that appeared headed toward the corner of the net.

Keith Francisco of Tampa snapped the SHC run of luck in the 54th minute with a goal into the lower left corner from 8 yards out off an assist by Dominick Mondesir.

Junior Jose Scheuren of Miami deflected another possible Tampa goal in the 68th minute as the Spartans began to push the Badger defense late in a hard-fought game. A final set piece attempt from the near right sideline by Spring Hill with 18 seconds on the clock sailed wide right to end the game.

In the end, the Spartans out-shot Spring Hill 15-9 as Danner made three saves and Downes collected two stops for Tampa. Tampa took nine corner attempts as SHC took five kicks from the angles.

Spring Hill (0-1) next visits the Southern Wesleyan University Warriors (1-1) for a non-conference tilt on Friday at 7 p.m. in Central, S.C.