Florida soccer coach Nick Zimmerman’s home debut needed a two-hour rain delay Thursday night just to kick off, and by halftime, the Gators had already blown a two-goal lead.

Florida raced ahead 2-0 in the first half on a Kyra Taylor brace, only for Coastal Carolina to respond with two goals in a span of four minutes to tie the game at the break.

But Katie Johnston’s second-half strike proved decisive in lifting the Gators to a 3-2 win at Donald R. Dizney Stadium.

“It’s always exciting anytime you have a first in anything,” Zimmerman said. “Credit goes to the players, the staff. They work incredibly hard. It’s certainly something special that everyone can celebrate.” 

The rather passive opening 10 minutes reflected the delay. The first real chance of the game saw a cross by Tatum Borman deflect off a Chanticleers’ shin, just missing the left goalpost.

The absence of action ceased in the 11th minute when UF senior forward Zoe Main was sent through on goal, but her low shot was denied by Aris Lamanna. 

The offensive momentum continued for the Gators (1-1)  only nine minutes later. Redshirt senior forward Kelsey Smith beat two defenders on the byline and squared it to Taylor for her second shot on target, just three minutes after subbing into the game, but it was saved bottom center. 

Taylor produced super-sub magic in the 22nd minute, redirecting a corner swung in from Main past the keeper into the left side-netting to open the scoring for the Gators. 

In the 33rd minute, Johnston was the catalyst who drove the Gators build up toward the top of the box. Johnston delivered a short pass to Taylor with her back to goal and a Coastal defender tight behind her. Taylor turned with the outside of her boot and slipped a low shot into the bottom right corner. Within 17 minutes of entering the game, Taylor secured a brace in putting Florida up 2-0. 

Throughout most of the first half, finding feet was the name of the game for the Gators. But Zimmerman’s “high risk, high reward” approach in possession finally broke apart in the 39th minute when the Chanticleers (1-1) broke away with a counter on the right side. Luisa Thomas sprinted toward the byline and sent the ball across goal, where freshman forward Olivia Lawrence flicked it into the path of Ava Rodriguez, who was unmarked at the back post and finished it bottom left.  With the second half creeping up, Coastal Carolina had a lifeline. 

That lifeline came in handy in the 43rd minute. Following a deep free kick, a long cross into the box is punched away by Paloma Peña. With defenders scrambling to recover the ball and Peña out of goal, it fell to Rodriguez, who slid it into the path of Lawrence. Lawrence finished into the bottom right corner, leveling the match at 2-2 going into halftime 

The Gators opened the second half in similar fashion to the first, dominating possession and creating several attacks. But build-up play for the Gators started to shift out wide as Coastal Carolina pressured Florida’s midfield, forcing the Gators’ wingers to the forefront of creating chances. 

In the 54th minute, a loose ball dropped to Mia Gray outside the 18-yard box. With only green space and a goal ahead of her, she ripped a deep shot that reverberated off the crossbar. The Gators remained scoreless despite four shots through the first 10 minutes of the second half. 

In the 69th minute, Main found herself with a promising chance in front of the net thanks to a slipped ball in behind by Kyra Taylor. Facing Lamanna at a tough angle on the left flank, Main went for the near-post finish, but it was safe hands for the keeper. 

The dread of a tie for the Gators was cut short seven minutes later. Gray found Johnston with the ball at her feet inside the box, and Johnston curled a shot off her left foot into the top corner, breaking the deadlock and putting the Gators ahead 3-2. 

“The coaches have been telling me all game to just shoot the ball and not let the outcome define our identity and how we’re gonna play,” Johnston said. “I think we just proved that tonight.”

The Chanticleers were unable to produce another threat. Florida finished the night with a 19-5 shot advantage and a 13-3 edge in shots on goal, but Lamanna kept Coastal within a goal, turning away 10 shots in the loss.  

Sights are now set for the 2 p.m. Sunday home match against reigning national champion Florida State (3-0). Coverage is on the SEC Network and ESPN 98.1-FM/850-AM WRUF.

“We know we’re playing a very, very good team,” Zimmerman said. “We’re gonna recover, we’re gonna rest, and then tomorrow we’re gonna get back at it.”