Florida Seniors Take Center Stage Against Youngstown State
On a night meant to honor Florida’s 10 seniors, the veterans did not wait for the postgame ceremony to take center stage.
The Gators entered Thursday’s match against Youngstown State looking to give the group another meaningful memory at Donald R. Dizney Stadium. Once the opening whistle sounded, Florida immediately took control en route to a 2-0 win.
The Gators (4-1-1) took three shots in the first five minutes, using their high press to keep Youngstown State (0-5-1) inside its defensive half.
That pressure created the opening goal in the seventh minute.
Addy Hess controlled the ball near the penalty area and found senior forward Zoe Main in front of the net. Main finished the opportunity inside the near post.
Main nearly scored again one minute later when a Youngstown State defensive mistake left her one-on-one with goalkeeper Kendall Sears, who, this time, won the battle with a save.
Youngstown State produced its first opportunity in the 16th minute when Danielle Wylie’s shot from outside the box went wide.
From there, Florida continued controlling possession, with Iori Watanabe setting the tempo in midfield and breaking defensive lines with her passing.
Despite generating 15 first-half shots and placing seven on target, Florida entered halftime holding only a one-goal advantage.
Sears’ saves and Youngstown State’s compact defensive shape kept the Penguins within reach.
Florida coach Nick Zimmerman encouraged his players to remain patient instead of forcing passes and settling for difficult shots.
“It was not a matter of creating constant chances,” Zimmerman said. “It was just continuing to stay on course and to trust the process.”
The Gators resumed their attack after halftime. Lael Hill hit the post in the 50th minute before Sears denied Kyra Taylor seven minutes later.
Hess then struck the woodwork from outside the box, as Florida continued searching for another goal.
After receiving a pass from Main near the top of the box, senior defender Hannah Jibril finally made it two-nil in the 61st minute.
Jibril recognized space in Youngstown State’s defense. She used her first touch to set up a left-footed strike that flew into the top of the net for her second goal as a Gator.
“I could see there was a little bit of space at the top of the box,” Jibril said. “I took a really good touch out, set myself left-footed, and it felt good.”
Jibril felt chills as her teammates surrounded her. With Main assisting, seniors contributed to both Florida goals.
“We’re a close group,” Jibril said. “It’s cool just to be able to celebrate with them. I love all of them.”
Florida’s defense protected the advantage by limiting Youngstown State to three shots and no corner kicks.
The Penguins placed their only shot on target in the 68th minute, when senior goalkeeper Jayden Emmanuel denied Penguins defender Makayla Thinger.
Senior goalkeeper Paris Bice entered in the 86th minute for the first appearance of her Florida career and helped complete the shutout.
“Paris is an incredible young lady,” Zimmerman said. “She does everything right every single day, does it with a smile on her face and is selfless.”
The Gators finished with a 33-3 advantage on shots, a 13-1 edge on shots on goal and all 17 corner kicks. Sears made 11 saves to keep the Penguins in the match.
“The good news is we’re creating these chances, and we get a clean sheet,” Zimmerman said. “I think we’re moving in the right direction.”
The Gators now turn their attention to their final nonconference test against No. 5 Wake Forest (6-0) at Dizney Stadium at noon Sunday. Fans can watch the match on SEC Network+ or listen on ESPN 98.1 FM/850 AM WRUF. Wake Forest arrived in the state earlier this week and defeated USF 3-0 on Thursday in Tampa.
“We want this place to be a fortress,” Zimmerman said regarding Sunday’s matchup. “We really feed off the crowd.”
Category: Feature Sports News, Gators Soccer, Soccer, University of Florida
