Sunday, November 10, 1996
NO. 9 FLORIDA SOCCER WINS SEC CHAMPIONSHIP IN SUDDEN DEATH OVERTIME
UF Athletics Communications
LEXINGTON, Ky. - The No. 9 University of Florida soccer team (20-2) won its first Southeastern Conference title in a 3-2 overtime sudden death win over Arkansas (12-7-2). Both teams entered the championship match as the top seeds in their respective divisions.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - The No. 9 University of Florida soccer team (20-2) won its first Southeastern Conference title in a 3-2 overtime sudden death win over Arkansas (12-7-2). Both teams entered the championship match as the top seeds in their respective divisions.
Arkansas' Andie Hickman scored the only goal of the first half on a 23 yard free kick at 22:41. Florida's
Danielle Fotopoulos tied the match in the second half at 46:57 on a seven yard kick after receiving the cross from
Sarah Yohe. The match would end as a 1-1 tie at the end of regulation.
Florida's
Erin Baxter scored the Gators' second goal in the first overtime period at 98:31 as she netted at 20-yarder after she received the ball from UF sweeper
Adrianne Moreira. It was Moreira's first collegiate assist. Arkansas' Brittany Burns would tie the match in the second overtime period at 118:08 when she headed the ball into the net after receiving the cross from teammate Clare McKenna. Burns' tying goal would then send the match into a 15 minute sudden death period. Yohe ended the match as she scored the game winner on a breakaway after receiving the assist from Fotopoulos with 10 seconds remaining in the sudden death period.
Florida's Baxter,
Melanie Freeman, and
Danielle Fotopoulos were named to the 1996 SEC All-Tournament Team, marking Baxter's second consecutive appearance on the All-SEC Tournament squd. Fotopoulos, the 1996 SEC Player-of-the-Year, was named the Tournament Most-Valuable-Player. Through the course of the tournament, Fotopoulos established several SEC Tournament records including shots in a single match (11), goals in a single match (6), points in a single match (12), goals for an entire tournament (7), and points for an entire tournament (18).
The Florida team will now await the NCAA Championships' bracket announcement, which is set for Monday, Nov. 11 at 6 p.m. (ET). As the SEC Tournament champion, Florida receives the league's automatic berth into the NCAA Championships' field.
| SCORING |
1 |
2 |
OT |
OT |
FINAL |
| Arkansas |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
| Florida |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1* |
3 |
| |
*Sudden Death |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| Goalkeepers: UF - Harris (Pattishall 45); ARK - Smith |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| SCORING SUMMARY |
| ARK - Hickman (unassisted), 22:41 |
| UF - Fotopoulos (Yohe), 46:57 |
| UF - Baxter (Moreira), 98:31 |
| ARK - Burns (McKenna), 118:08 |
| UF - Yohe (Fotopoulos), 134:90 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| SHOTS |
1 |
2 |
OT |
OT |
FINAL |
| Arkansas |
3 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
7 |
| Florida |
13 |
14 |
5 |
5 |
37 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| SAVES |
1 |
2 |
OT |
OT |
FINAL |
| Arkansas |
8 |
10 |
0 |
11 |
29 |
| Florida |
2 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
5 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| ATTENDANCE: 452 |
