Colleges: Kneeland gives Tampa women late victory

Sara Kneeland scored with just under 10 minutes to play to give the University of Tampa women their first Sunshine State Conference victory of the season with a 2-1 win against Lynn on Sunday afternoon.

Kneeland scored in the 82nd minute, turning in the rebound after her initial shot had been pushed onto the post by Lynn goalkeeper Kelsey Butler. It was Kneeland’s fifth of the season.

Tampa (5-6-1, 1-1-0 SSC) had taken the lead just after halftime, Megan Tobin converting from the penalty spot after Brittan Spence had been brought down in the penalty area. The Fighting Knights (6-5-0, 1-2-0) hit back in the 62nd minute, when Brittany Evernden found Melissa Ortiz in with a cross, and Ortiz headed home.

The win was a welcome boost for the Spartans, who had lost 3-2 to Nova Southeastern in their SSC opener on Friday. They will now face Florida Southern this coming Friday at 5 p.m. at Pepin-Rood Stadium.

Colleges: Spartans can't hold early lead, fall to No.19 Pirates

The Tampa Spartans scored twice in the first six minutes, but couldn’t hold off a solid Armstrong Atlantic attack, which rallied to earn the No.19 Pirates a 4-2 victory on Friday evening.

Brittan Spence gave the Spartans (3-5-1) a shock second minute lead, and the lead quickly became 2-0 in the sixth minute as Samantha Kay scored her first of the season.

But the Pirates hit back before halftime, Kristina Paschutti and Morgan Mitchell scored within three minutes of each other around the half-hour mark before Kristin Burton gave Armstrong Atlantic the lead almost on the stroke of half time.

Paschutti scored her second to put the game for the Pirates (6-1-2) in the 72nd minute, Burton adding her second assist of the night to add to her earlier goal.

The Spartans were unable to mount any serious threat on the Pirates goal after that, and will now try to regroup before they face Georgia College and State University on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. in Savannah, Ga.