Inside Florida Soccer’s SEC Tournament Showdown vs. Kentucky
To start the season, Florida traveled to rivals Florida State and lost 5-0. Many wondered if the 2025 Gators were built to win more SEC games than the 2024 team that went (4-8-6, 1-7-2 SEC).
By midseason, Florida quieted those concerns against Texas and Mississippi State with back-to-back SEC wins for the first time since 2021.
However, while the two wins satisfied one question, the ultimate one of whether the Gators would face the same postseason fate of the past three years remained until Sunday against LSU. Despite a 4-1 loss, the program’s postseason drought ended with some help from Auburn and Texas A&M and squeaked into the tournament for the first time under coach Samantha Bohon.
The 2025 SEC Soccer Tournament starts Sunday at the Ashton Brosnaham Soccer Complex in Pensacola, Florida.
The Gators (6-6-5, 2-3-5 SEC) enter as the No. 11 seed. Their first matchup is Sunday against No. 6 Kentucky Wildcats (11-4-3, 5-2-3 SEC) at 3 p.m. in the first round. All SEC tournament games can be viewed on the SEC Network.
Key players to watch
Florida is led by freshman Kai Tsakiris, who has started all 17 games this season. Tsakiris is first on the team in assists (5) and shots on goal (11). She gives Florida’s offense flair and reliability from the penalty spot — converting all four of her attempts this season.
Starting at striker for the Gators is freshman Addy Hess, who transferred after redshirting her first year at Penn State. Hess is tied for the team lead in goals (4) and ranks second in total points (11). She has two game-winning goals this season, including one against No. 12 Mississippi State on Oct. 10 — Florida’s biggest win of the year.
Gator freshmen have played over 4,000 combined minutes this season, while only one player on the roster has postseason experience.
“All of them have been winners at some level, you’re not playing at the University of Florida if you haven’t been on a winning team and contributing in some factor,” Bohon said.
Holding down the back line for the Gators is sophomore Abby Gemma. A transfer who joined from Notre Dame after her freshman year. Gemma, who has started all 17 games this year, has become one of the vocal leaders on this young Florida team.
For Kentucky, sophomore forward Alexis Tylenda is tied for the team lead in goals (7) and total points (18) for the Wildcats while starting all 18 games. During her freshman campaign, Tylenda made the All-SEC Freshman Team and remains a constant threat in Kentucky’s attack.
Another standout sophomore for Kentucky is defender Anna Sikorski, who shares the team lead with Tylenda in goals (7) and points (18). Sikorski leads the Wildcats in shots (40) and shots on goal (22), showcasing her versatility as a defender. She has taken a major leap from her freshman season, when she scored one goal and registered two assists.
Freshman defender Gabi Poretto adds more strength to the Wildcats’ back line. A former IMG Academy captain for all four years, she earned 2023-24 IMG Defensive Player of the Year. Poretto has scored four goals this season — all game-winners — and is one Florida will need to keep under wraps for the entirety of the game.
Goalie battle
Florida redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Paloma Peña has earned two SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors this season and was named TopDrawerSoccer National Player of the Week. The accolade came after her 11 saves against then-No. 4 Tennessee on Oct. 16 and a shutout at home against Ole Miss on Oct. 19. Peña secured the starting role earlier in the season and will look to continue her strong campaign in the SEC Tournament.
For Kentucky, freshman Megan Holland was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week on Monday after her shutout in the Wildcats’ regular-season finale against Texas A&M. Holland made four saves in only her sixth start of the season and improved to 4-1-2. Sophomore Khadijah Cissé was in net for the Wildcats in their trip to Gainesville earlier this month.
Previous matchup
Florida welcomed Kentucky to Donald R. Dizney stadium in a match that ended 1-1 on Oct. 2. Hess gave the Gators their first lead of SEC play when she connected with redshirt sophomore Megan Hinnenkamp’s cross. The Gators took a 1-0 lead into halftime.
Ten minutes into the second half, Kentucky senior midfielder Thalia Morisi pounced on a loose ball six yards from goal and tied the game at one.
“I wish we would’ve played a little better in the second half … we didn’t have much possession,” Bohon said after the match.
Possession could again be key Sunday. Kentucky has won the possession battle in 16 of 18 matches this season.
“We play a spring round robin at the site in Pensacola in preparation for qualifying and being there in the fall,” Bohon said. “There’s some familiarity with the facility and the field, and all of that was to prepare for when we earned this opportunity.”
A Gators victory will set up a quarterfinals match against No. 3 Georgia on Nov. 4 at 3 p.m. The Gators last made the quarterfinals in 2021 after defeating the Vanderbilt Commodores (4-3) on penalties.
Category: Gator Sports, Gators Soccer, SEC
