Eckerd College men’s soccer fell 2-1 to Tampa on Sept. 23 at Pepin Stadium after being reduced to 10 men in the 29th minute. Tristan Bassette scored in the 85th minute to bring Eckerd within one, but Tampa held on for the victory. The loss came despite Eckerd placing seven of its eight shots on target.
Tampa took a 1-0 lead in the 19th minute through Robin Vandoorne. Eckerd faced the one-goal deficit and a man disadvantage for the remainder of the first half, but kept Tampa from adding to its lead before the break. Tatum Fain placed two shots on frame during the opening eight minutes, and Zak Bailey put a shot on target in the 45th minute.
Eckerd stays within reach
Trent Murphy kept Eckerd within striking distance throughout the second half. He made four saves during the opening 19 minutes of the half and finished with five saves. Noah Fuhrmann put a shot on target in the 67th minute, while Murphy had an attempt stopped in the 72nd minute.
Tampa doubled its advantage in the 79th minute on Felix Poschmann’s goal, which was assisted by Alex Dollard. Eckerd continued to push while playing a man down and cut the deficit in half six minutes later. Bassette scored in the 85th minute for his second goal of the season.
Bassette generated another opportunity in the 89th minute, and Eckerd earned two corner kicks during the final minute while pressing for the equalizer. Tampa secured the 2-1 result after Eckerd could not find a second goal. Eckerd and Tampa each finished with seven shots on goal.
Next match
Eckerd College men’s soccer will return home Saturday to host Florida Tech at 6 p.m. at Johnson Field. The match will be part of Alumni Night. It will be Eckerd’s next opportunity to respond after the loss at Tampa.
FSB Take
Eckerd’s response after the red card was the defining detail of the match. The Tritons stayed within one goal at halftime, matched Tampa with seven shots on goal and created late pressure through Bassette’s goal and final-minute corner kicks. The home match against Florida Tech gives Eckerd a quick chance to build on that effort.
Source: Original report