The Florida Gators bounce back into the win column after a 2-0 win against Kentucky. Florida lost their last two matches before the game on Thursday against the Wildcats (Florida State and Auburn). The match is considered a home game despite being played at the Embry-Riddle Soccer Stadium in Daytona Beach, Florida.
https://twitter.com/GatorsSoccer/status/921156527586672640
Back on the Scoresheet
The Florida Gators return onto the scoresheet this week after being held goalless for the first time since playing Washington in September. The Michigan natives on the squad were the highlight of the match.
Junior Sarah Troccoli scored a curler over the goalkeeper and off the crossbar to take the lead in the first half. This was Troccoli’s first goal of the season. On the other hand, freshman Madison Alexander scored from 17 yards out in the beginning of the second half to solidify the lead and eventually win the game.
Florida Head Coach Becky Burleigh saw her team win three of four by a score of 3-0, but last week was different. Burleigh praises the effectiveness of the bench in getting the win.
“I think we had some really big game changers that went into the game that upped the urgency. We put a challenge to the team to score a goal in the first 15 minutes in the second half. So it was kind of nice to see that two players that came off the bench could make a big difference.”
What’s Next?
The Florida Gators will travel to play their final regular season away game against Tennessee. Despite the consecutive losses last week, Florida only dropped to No. 20 on the United Soccer Coaches poll. Florida currently sit at third in the SEC standings behind South Carolina and Texas A&M with two games remaining. The Gators (12-4), have been excellent at home with a 6-1 record, but only above average at 5-3 on the road. The Tennessee Volunteers are right behind Florida with a 5-2-1 record this season. The Volunteers lost 2-0 in Gainesville last regular season.