No. 20 Florida Soccer Shifts Focus to Unbeaten Jacksonville
The Florida Gators soccer team has spent the week hearing about national rankings and individual awards. Coach Nick Zimmerman would rather hear his players communicating.
Florida’s upset against reigning NCAA National Champion FSU last Sunday returned the program to the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 for the first time since Week 3 of the 2020 season.
The Gators went 81 consecutive polls without appearing in the rankings.
“For us right now, it’s noise,” Zimmerman said. “We think about how we can keep getting better … Progress is winning. Every single day, we’re trying to learn and grow.”
Senior forward Kyra Taylor was named the TopDrawerSoccer National Player of the Week after scoring twice against Coastal Carolina and Florida State.
Taylor also earned SEC Offensive Player of the Week, while goalkeeper Jayden Emmanuel received SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors after making four saves against the Seminoles.
The Gators have scored three goals in each of their first three matches, outshooting opponents 57-24. Taylor leads Florida with four goals, while Zoe Main and Mia Gray have two assists apiece.
No. 20 Florida (2-1) hosts unbeaten Jacksonville (1-0-1) at 6 p.m Thursday. The match concludes the Gators’ three-game homestand following their 3-1 victory against Florida State.
“The way that we want to play is an exciting brand of football,” Zimmerman said. “It’s a high-risk, high-reward brand of football. We’re going to commit numbers forward. We’re going to be exposed to certain areas.”
Jacksonville will be a much different test than Florida State. The Dolphins have not conceded a goal through 180 minutes, opening with a 2-0 victory against Miami on Aug. 12 before recording a scoreless draw against Georgia Southern on Aug. 20.
The Dolphins have returned three defenders who earned All-ASUN recognition in 2025: Paula Herranz, Lina Ballmann and Frida Johansson. Herranz, a senior, was selected as the conference’s preseason Player and Defender of the Year.
Junior goalkeeper Taylor Gardner has also made six saves and earned ASUN Goalkeeper of the Week after recording two consecutive shutouts.
Jacksonville plays a midfield-heavy shape with frequent rotations around freshman forward Ula Omerzu. Herranz provides width from the back, while Jacksonville’s 14 international players give the Dolphins different technical profiles across the field.
“They’re a really good football team. They’re extremely well coached,” Zimmerman said. “It’s going to be a game that is a little bit different than some of the other ones. It’s going to create new challenges.”
Florida must move Jacksonville’s experienced back line from side to side, communicate through the Dolphins’ rotations and remain organized behind the ball when committing players forward.
That will be especially important on attacking set pieces, where Florida cannot allow Jacksonville to counter into open space.
“Making sure that the structure is set, the shape is set,” Zimmerman said, “we’re being a little bit proactive in terms of where the ball is, where we think it might pop out, as opposed to just being reactive.”
Florida is 5-0 in the all-time series and has outscored Jacksonville 25-2. The teams last met Sept. 13, 2015, when the Gators earned a 4-0 road victory.
The match will stream on SEC Network+ and air on ESPN Gainesville 98.1 FM/850 AM WRUF. Admission is free.
Category: Gator Sports, Gators Soccer
