Last-Second Goal Sinks Florida Soccer at Arkansas
Ten days after celebrating a dramatic last-minute winner against Alabama, Florida soccer found itself on the other side of a heartbreaking finish.
In the final seconds Sunday, Arkansas freshman MacKenzie Gwin broke through Florida’s defense and scored the deciding goal, handing the Gators a 2-1 loss at Razorback Field in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Florida (6-6-3, 2-4-2 SEC) suffered its second consecutive road defeat, while Arkansas (6-4-4, 4-1-3 SEC) extended its unbeaten streak to six matches.
It was an especially difficult place to protect a result. The defending SEC regular-season champion entered unbeaten in 30 consecutive conference matches at Razorback Field, a streak dating to 2020. Florida, meanwhile, was looking to bounce back from Thursday’s 3-0 loss at No. 2 Vanderbilt.
Arkansas set the early tone with an intense press and set pieces. The Razorbacks won a corner in the fourth minute, but Kyndal Ewertz sent a flicked header wide. Florida struggled to connect in the attacking third early, taking its first shot in the 14th minute, by Zoe Main.
As the half progressed, the Gators found more success moving the ball through midfield. In the 33rd minute, forward Lena Bailey sprinted into space and drove a right-footed shot toward goal, forcing a timely save from Arkansas goalkeeper Keegan Smith.
Bailey scored Florida’s dramatic winner against then-No. 5 Alabama 10 days earlier, helping make the Gators the nation’s only team with two victories over top-five opponents this season. Against Arkansas, however, the finishing touch proved harder to find.
After defending back-to-back Arkansas corners, Florida broke on a counterattack, with Main advancing through the midfield and finding Katie Johnston with a through ball in the 44th minute. The sophomore from Edmond, Oklahoma, who had been on the field for about seven minutes after coming on as a substitute, shifted the ball onto her left foot and finished past Smith.
The defender’s fourth goal of the season sent Florida into halftime with a 1-0 lead, rewarding a team that had grown more dangerous after a quiet opening.
Early in the second half, Florida nearly extended its advantage. In the 52nd minute, Bailey escaped on another break and fired a left-footed shot, but Smith was well positioned and pushed it out for a corner, denying the Gators a two-goal lead.
Arkansas answered with the kind of chance it had pursued all afternoon: a set piece. In the 57th minute, the Razorbacks made their seventh corner kick count, erasing Florida’s lead after a chaotic sequence in the penalty area. Junior defender Madden McDonald sent the corner into a crowded box, where it ricocheted off Zoe Susi before Ewertz got the final touch across the goal line to tie the match 1-1.
The equalizer changed the match’s rhythm. Both sides traded stretches of possession, but neither could consistently turn buildup into clean looks on goal. With the score even, every loose ball and challenge carried added weight.
That tension showed in the 66th minute, when two potential penalty incidents went to video review. Officials allowed play to continue after both reviews, including one involving Florida’s Kyra Taylor and Arkansas’ Sabrina Jones inside the box.
The physical edge continued after Arkansas midfielder Cora Hair was cautioned for a challenge on Addy Hess. Florida sought a red card, but another review left the yellow-card decision unchanged.
With both teams pushing for a second goal while staying wary on defense, Gwin offered a warning in the 70th minute, arriving on the left side of the penalty area before putting her attempt wide.
Florida soon answered with a series of chances that could have changed the result. In the 77th minute, Adia Symmonds drove into the box and squared a pass, but Smith came off her line to cut it out before a teammate could capitalize. Minutes later, Johnston rattled the left post with a shot, coming inches from her second goal of the match.
Taylor, Florida’s leading scorer with seven goals entering the match, threatened in the 82nd minute, cutting inside from the right and curling an effort toward goal, but Smith made another save. Florida finished with seven shots on goal to Arkansas’ four, but Smith, who entered the week with 16 career shutouts, made five saves.
As the final minute ticked away, Florida appeared set to salvage a draw from its last SEC road match of the regular season. Then Arkansas countered. Gwin carried the ball past Florida’s recovering defenders and beat goalkeeper Jayden Emmanuel in the final seconds, turning a potential shared point into a Razorbacks victory.
For coach Nick Zimmerman’s squad, the loss was a painful contrast to the 1-0 upset of Alabama on Oct. 8, when Bailey scored with 93 seconds remaining. This time, Florida was the team punished at the finish.
The Gators return to Gainesville to host Auburn at 7 p.m. Thursday at Donald R. Dizney Stadium. With only two regular-season matches remaining, Florida faces a challenge beyond creating opportunities: finding the finishing touch before time runs out.
Category: Gator Sports, Gators Soccer
