TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The No. 8 University of Florida (17-1, 8-0 SEC) finished Southeastern Conference regular-season play unbeaten as it defeated the University of Alabama (7-7-2, 3-4-1 SEC) 4-1 in front of 200 fans at the Alabama Soccer Field in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Florida is the first SEC team to go through league play undefeated since Vanderbilt posted a 4-0 record in the 1994 season.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The No. 8 University of Florida (17-1, 8-0 SEC) finished Southeastern Conference regular-season play unbeaten as it defeated the University of Alabama (7-7-2, 3-4-1 SEC) 4-1 in front of 200 fans at the Alabama Soccer Field in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Florida is the first SEC team to go through league play undefeated since Vanderbilt posted a 4-0 record in the 1994 season.
"One of the goals that we set at the beginning of the year was to win every SEC match, and so in doing this today, we feel that we have completed the first step. The SEC Tournament begins on November 7th and that is where we hope to get our goal of an SEC title," UF Head Coach
Becky Burleigh said.
Junior All-American
Danielle Fotopoulos led the Gators scoring two goals to up her school-record season total to 22 goals. She scored the Gators first goal at 29:16 on a 18 yard direct kick after an Alabama foul. Her second goal came in the second half with 16 seconds remaining in the match on a solo breakaway from midfield. Fotopoulos beat Alabama backup goalkeeper Carrie Higgins on the drive to cap off the Gators 4-1 victory.
Gator junior
Tina Brendel and freshman
Alison Benoit also scored for UF Sunday. Brendel's goal was her first of the season and came with less than two minutes remaining in the first half on a five yarder from the left side of the goal box as she was fed the ball by sophomore
Heather Mitts. Benoit scored the Gators' third goal of the match at 69:05 on a 25-yard center shot.
Alabama got on the scoreboard at 84:36 when Kathleen Foody netted a 15 yarder on a direct penalty kick. The Alabama goal marked only the third time this season the Gators have been scored upon in SEC play. The last team to get on the scoreboard was Tennessee, who was defeated 6-2 by UF on Sept. 29th in Gainesville.
Florida finishes off the regular season on Nov. 3 against Duke University in Chapel Hill, N.C. It will be UF's final match before heading into the SEC Tournament in Lexington, Ky. which runs Nov. 7-10.
| SCORING |
1 |
2 |
FINAL |
| Alabama |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| Florida |
2 |
2 |
4 |
| |
|
|
|
| Goalkeepers: UF - Pattishall (Harris 45); Alabama - Pseja (Higgins 85) |
| |
|
|
|
| SCORING SUMMARY |
| UF - Fotopoulos (unassisted), 29:16 |
| UF - Brendel (Mitts), 44:07 |
| UF - Benoit (Fotopoulos/Brendel), 69:05 |
| UA - Foody (unassisted), 84:36 |
| UF - Fotopoulos (unassisted), 89:44 |
| |
|
|
|
| SHOTS |
1 |
2 |
FINAL |
| Alabama |
1 |
3 |
4 |
| Florida |
7 |
4 |
11 |
| |
|
|
|
| SAVES |
1 |
2 |
FINAL |
| Alabama |
4 |
2 |
6 |
| Florida |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| |
|
|
|
| ATTENDANCE: 200 |
|
|
