Press "Enter" to skip to content

Rollins soccer ties Tampa

Last Wednesday was a TAR-riffic day, some may say. However, in all, the turnout at the tailgate was a little disappointing, in my opinion as one who has a great spirit for sports. If you want to show school spirit, this is one king of event that you have to go to. The problem we have is that there are more students interested in free food than supporting their fellow classmates out on the field. I would rate the tailgate 6 out of 10 stars. I love the drive to get students out with free food and drinks, but that was it for most students. In comparison to coffee talk at the Holt School or the common hour event CLCE had at the beginning of the semester, the tailgate was wonderful, but as an actual tailgate, it could have been better.

photo-2
Photo by Natalie Hayes

When there is an event like this, you have to go! Tailgating isn’t just about hanging out; it is about supporting our teams and showing what Rollins is all about!

From the free shirts to the free food, what can go wrong?

Many students stopped by for the amazing grilled burgers, the icy snow cones, and the tasty hot dogs. The lines were long, the stands were filled with laughter, and the music and weather was great; it was a perfect day; however, when the game started, the crowd was not very loud.

Come on, Rollins, where’s our pride?

Rollins went up against Tampa last Wednesday was the team’s second home game, but this one was their first conference home game.

The stands were almost full, but for the amount of students on this campus along with supporters of the opposing team, the stands should have been overflowing. The tailgate helped to bring in some people, but other students seemed to have had better things to do.

Where was the hype? Students were coming in to watch the soccer game, and the flow of the game began very slowly. “LET’S GO ROLLINS!” exclaimed one man in the stands, while everyone else simply sat talking to each other and/or being busy on their phones. Within those first 10 minutes, UT (The University of Tampa) scored the first goal. Rollins fans began to boo and moan, and our team walked back slowly. It was just sad to hear the majority of the stands boo so soon into the game.

photo-3
Photo by Natalie Hayes

However, that goal gave a push to our Rollins soccer team, who stepped out to score a goal. Finally, students were getting excited. It was an excellent shot by number 14, Tosan Popo ’17. Popo shot it into the bottom corner, making sure it went to the back of the net. Rollins students began to feel the hype; it was about time!

Time went on for about 20 minutes after the second goal of the game, and silence began to come again. Tampa scored another goal, and the same thing in the beginning of the game occurred. The Rollins supporters booed; our Rollins soccer team wanted revenge; Rollins number 12,  Matt Volk ’18, scored an excellent header with only six minutes left of the first half.

The second half began, and both teams were really getting in on each other. Needles to say, Rollins had more possession, but that doesn’t matter if the game is tied. Thankfully, Popo ’17 scored again! The game was three to two, and the stands were finally feeling the victory. UT ended up winning a free kick outside the box, and it was wonderfully taken. The goal by UT tied the game. All of a sudden, regular time was over and students were already leaving. This was when some students in the stands, like me, told other students that there would be sudden overtime. Some still decided to leave, but the majority stayed. I would say that the end of the second half and the whole period in overtime were the most exciting. I just wish that we as students could carry this through the whole game. Rollins almost secured a goal, but the ball ended up hitting the crossbar. That one chance of winning went away, and the game ended three to three.  What an excellent game! I hope to see more games like this, and I hope to see Rollins students give more support to our fellow classmates. Make time to show your support to all sports teams playing this season.

Volleyball: Friday, September 30 vs. Nova Southeastern

Men’s Soccer: Saturday, October 1 vs. Eckerd

Women’s Soccer: Wednesday, October 5 vs. Florida Southern

Be First to Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *