The Florida Gator soccer team shut out the Mercer Bears 3-0 in the opening round of the NCAA tournament on Sunday afternoon in Gainesville.
Senior midfielder Annie Speese drew first blood for the Gators with a goal in the 19th minute. Senior outside back Tessa Andujar sent a cross into the box and Speese finished with a powerful volley from 12 yards out. Florida went into the half with a 1-0 lead.
The Gators sealed the win with a pair of goals courtesy of sophomore forward Savannah Jordan. She scored in the 82nd minute and 91st minute, notching her 16th and 17th goals of the year.
“I definitely think we had control of the game,” said Florida head coach Becky Burleigh. “Particularly in the second half, it was really dominant defensively for us. I think our style of play wore them down a little bit. They (Mercer) were chasing the ball for a really, really long time and I think that’s why it opened up late for us.”
Florida had 10 days of rest after getting upset early in the SEC tournament. Because they were bounced early, the team had extra time to work on their game and rest their legs.
“We tried really hard to get the best of both worlds in terms of the rest and recovery that we needed and combine that with competition,” Burleigh said. ” I thought for our plan for that interval was really detailed and it kind of gave us the best of both worlds.
“I actually think that the situation we faced in Orange Beach was a really blessing for us,” added Burleigh.
Next, the Gators will host the California Golden Bears in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The game will be played on Friday, November 21st at the Dizney Lacrosse Stadium at 7 p.m.
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Florida head coach Becky Burleigh on the layoff leading off into NCAA Tournament