‘Swamp Energy to the Diz’: UF Students Showing Up for Gators Soccer
Sunday’s crowd of 1,632 set a Donald R. Dizney Stadium record for Florida soccer and they were key in the Gators’ upset of No. 3 Florida State 3-1.
“Gotta give a huge, huge shoutout to the fans,” UF coach Nick Zimmerman said. “Hopefully they enjoyed it and hopefully we continue to pack this place. This is a special place and we are beyond grateful.”
But for six UF sophomores, bringing energy to the games is simply routine.
At the start of their freshman year, Joshua Kilpatrick, Micah DeHaven, Christopher Bilbruck, Hunter Lazare, Cooper Cowen and Cody Nguyen had nothing to do on a Thursday night, so they found their way to the Gators’ home opener against Towson on Aug. 21, 2025, and were instantly hooked.
“We had such an amazing time,” Bilbruck said. “We’ve been back to every single one since.”
Two games in, orange and blue overalls became the staple of their gameday outfits, and at their fourth game they added painters’ buckets and drumsticks to the packing list. The team’s aim to include fans in the game experience pulled the group toward the sport.
“We like the community more,” Lazare said. “The atmosphere more than anything. The players would give autograph books. They really made you feel like you were a part of it and went out of their way.”
Once at the stadium, the group sets up near centerfield in the front row and starts drumming. The group doesn’t practice before games; instead, they find a rhythm, sync up and bring noise to a stadium that doesn’t typically draw a crowd.
“[The FSU game] is the most packed we’ve ever seen it,” Bilbruck said. “Usually it’s us and the parents. [We wanted] to bring that Swamp energy to the Diz for something that’s usually not as supported.”
As soon as the Gators’ home opener against Coastal Carolina on Thursday rolled around, the group picked up where they left off and made an immediate impression on Zimmerman.
“[Zimmerman] came up to us after the game and told us that he loved what we were doing,” Lazare said. “He wanted us to build, so that’s our goal now.”
Last season, the group didn’t stop at Dizney Stadium, making a trip to Baton Rouge for the Gators’ regular-season finale against Louisiana State University last October. They packed two cars with camping gear and left Gainesville on a Friday night to embark on the nearly 600-mile road trip.
After camping overnight in Alabama that Saturday through a torrential downpour, they made it for the 3 p.m. kickoff Sunday, before booking it back to Gainesville for their Monday classes.
“It was [LSU’s] senior night, and we were louder than the whole rest of the LSU crowd and they didn’t like that,” Lazare said. “They tried to kick us out at least three times before the game even started.”
The Gators felt their presence, buying the guys pizza after the game and later inviting them to show their support at the SEC Tournament against Kentucky in Pensacola last November. Though the Gators dropped both the LSU and Kentucky games, the group’s bonding experience made the miles worth it.
“It brought us closer together for sure,” Cowen said. “We knew these guys from Summer B, but just being on an actual road trip, camping in a tent in the rain on [the] ground is unlike anything.”
The group already made progress toward expanding their “army,” recruiting junior Paul Whiteside, who met the group at the Coastal Carolina game for the first time and returned Sunday in his own set of overalls.
“We were just cheering, being loud on our own, and then they invited us over, and we kind of joined their army,” Whiteside said. “It looked like a ton of fun. I love soccer so much, so it’s just great to see the community out here supporting soccer in America.”
With at least three years left at UF, the group hopes more fans will join in on their tradition. Though not every game will break a stadium attendance record, the group’s message remains the same.
“Show up to one game and let it change your life,” Kilpatrick said. “We just showed up to one game to see what it was like and loved the environment so much. If you come here, you’re going to want to come back.”
Category: Gator Sports, Gators Soccer
