Florida Soccer Claims First SEC Win
The dreaded away day, a challenge in itself for every soccer program, has been one of the toughest hurdles Florida soccer has faced this season.
The Gators left Gainesville with a 1-1 draw against Texas on Thursday, then headed to College Station hoping to snap their winless road streak and capture their first SEC win under coach Nick Zimmerman.
Led by four different scorers, Florida claimed those crucial three points Sunday, taking down Texas A&M 5-2 at Ellis Field.
Florida (5-3-3, 1-1-2 SEC) quickly made its presence known early in the first half with a deflected shot from Mia Gray off the crossbar just three minutes into the match. From that point on the opening half only grew more one-sided.
Addy Hess delivered an in-swinging cross in the 13th minute to Lael Hill, who flicked the ball into the net for a perfectly placed header. It was Hill’s first goal in a Gator uniform and showed that Texas A&M’s defense would be in for a long afternoon.
Kyra Taylor capitalized on a defensive mistake by Texas A&M (4-8, 0-5) just eight minutes later. Faced one-on-one with Texas A&M goalkeeper Adelaide Paredes, Taylor maneuvered past Paredes to make it 2-0.
Florida held that two-goal lead into the hydration break and controlled possession throughout all phases of the match.
After the break, Florida struck quickly once again. In the 34th minute Sophia Sindelar made it 3-0 with a right footed shot from outside the box that curled past the A&M keeper. Parallel to Hill, Sindelar claimed her first goal as a Gator.
Just two minutes later Katie Johnston received another assist from Lena Bailey for Florida’s fourth goal. A burst of speed by Bailey allowed her to set up Johnston for the tap-in finish. Bailey recorded her second assist in just two minutes and Johnston scored her third of the season.
Having four different goal scorers in one half is not unusual for Florida, as the squad has tried to spread the scoring opportunities throughout the season instead of depending on just one player. The first half of Sunday’s match was one of the most complete performances the Gators have put up all season.
The numbers that have supported Florida’s electricity in the final third in previous matchups showed true once again. Florida was able to make nine shots on goal to Texas A&M’s five while also outnumbering the Aggies 4-0 in corners during the half.
It took 10 minutes after halftime for Florida to secure its fifth goal of the game. A deflected volley attempt by Carlota Martins fell in the box to Kyra Taylor, who slipped it into the bottom right corner of the net. Taylor logged her second goal in the match and her third brace for the Gators since their 3-1 triumph against reigning champion Florida State on Aug. 23.
The onslaught of goals by Florida led to Texas A&M substituting its goalkeepers several moments after. Adelaide was replaced by freshman August Makenna.
An opportunity to get on the scoresheet presented itself to the Aggies minutes later after Sindelar caught the leg of a Texas A&M attacker, missing the tackle and drawing a penalty. Forward Trinity Buchanan stepped up to the spot and slotted it past Jayden Emmanuel, bringing the score to 5-1.
At the top of the 70th minute, Morgan Landry grabbed her first goal of the season for Texas A&M and cut the Aggies’ deficit to three. A lovely bit of footwork by Norah Bell opened space to find Landry in the middle of the box and she tucked it away top center.
Nearing the final 15 minutes, Skye Barnes committed a dangerous foul on Ireland Churchill just outside of Florida’s 18-yard box and Barnes collected a yellow card. Another promising set piece opportunity for the Aggies fell comfortably into Emmanuel’s hands.
It’s Florida’s first win at Ellis Field since 2014, snapping an 11-year drought in College Station.
The Gators return to Donald R. Dizney Stadium to face LSU (2-8-1, 0-3) on Friday, hoping to carry this result into another pivotal SEC matchup.
Category: Gator Sports, Gators Soccer
