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Gators Soccer lost its second straight SEC matchup Thursday against Tennessee. The Gators traveled to Knoxville to take on the Lady Vols but weren’t able to come out with a win. The 2-0 loss gave Tennessee its seventh straight win over Florida.
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SEC Play
Knoxville holds a sense of familiarity for Gators head coach Samantha Bohon. She began her SEC coaching journey as an assistant coach for Tennessee from 2001-04.
Both teams came off losses during Week 1 of SEC play. The Gators fell short to Missouri Sept. 15, losing 3-2. The game was played at Donald R. Dizney stadium in Gainesville with a record crowd of 1,283. Tennessee came into this game with an 0-1 start to SEC play after falling to No.11 Arkansas 3-1.
First Half Takeaways
Both teams came out strong from the first whistle. Goalie Alexa Goldberg came up with a save after the Vols capitalized on a Florida turnover within the first minute of play. The game remained scoreless until Tennessee midfielder Sizzy Lawton found the back of the net in the 24th minute.
The Gators struggled offensively throughout the game. They were unable to create many chances or be a threat to Tennessee’s back line. The Vols finished the half with five shots on goal compared to two for the Gators.
Second Half Challenges
The Vols were dominant in the second half, preventing the Gators from making a comeback.
Goldberg had an amazing performance despite the loss. She recorded five saves on the night to keep the Gators in the game. However, Tennessee kept knocking on the door. In the 62nd minute, freshman Kate Runyon scored from distance to make it 2-0, ultimately put the game away for the Vols. The Gators finished with eight shots on the night while the Vols had 13.
Although Florida couldn’t generate anything offensively, the defense remained solid. Despite Tennessee’s two goals, Florida’s back line had to contend with the Vols, who controlled possession for the majority of the game.
Next Up
The Gators will make a quick turnaround, returning home to host unbeaten Kentucky on Sunday. Kentucky faced off with South Carolina Thursday and finished with a tie to keep their undefeated season alive.
