Gator Soccer Drops Road Match to No. 23 Auburn Sunday

Following a scoreless first half, Auburn redshirt sophomore Marissa Arias netted her seventh goal in the past nine matches in the 51st minute. Arias beat Florida goalkeeper Alexa Goldberg in the bottom-left corner from 18 yards out.

Nearly 20 minutes later, Auburn junior Sydney Richards scored off a rebound — her fifth goal this season — en route a 2-0 home victory over Florida Saturday. Auburn sophomore and points leader Anna Haddock assisted both goals. Haddock now ranks top-five in the SEC in goals (8) and assists (7).

The loss drops Florida’s overall record to 3-9-3 and its conference record falls to 2-4-1.

Demolition From Start to Finish

The Tigers outshot the Gators 15-0 in the first half and 10-2 in the second half. Eleven of Auburn’s 25 shots hit the target, while only one of Florida’s shots was on goal courtesy of midfielder Nicole Vernis. Goldberg made nine saves, which is the sophomore’s most since her season opener against USF.

The Tigers produced eight corner kicks in contrast to Florida’s lone opportunity just before halftime. The Gators racked up nine fouls, while Auburn committed eight. Florida midfielder Cameron Hall received the only match’s caution — a yellow card in the 41st minute.

Road Trip Concludes in Athens

Florida will wrap up its road trip Thursday against Georgia at 5 p.m. on ESPNU. The rivals split both contests last season, but the Gators lead the all-time series 30-3-3.

After facing the Bulldogs, Florida will return home for its final two matches ahead of the SEC Tournament. The Gators will host LSU Sunday before they welcome South Carolina on Oct. 28.

About Griffin Foll

Hi, my name is Griffin Foll and I am currently a senior at UF studying journalism with a focus on sports and media and an outside concentration in political science. In addition to covering the 2023 UF men's and women's golf beats, I contribute weekly web and radio content for WRUF ESPN Gainesville. Be sure to check out some of my recent articles!

Check Also

Gators Soccer Looks For Victory Ahead Of SEC Tournament

The Florida soccer team hosts the Vanderbilt Commodores on Friday. When these teams faced off last year, …