Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. ‑ The No. 8 Florida soccer team (17-2-1) began its defense of the Southeastern Conference Championship with a 6-0 win over Mississippi Thursday night in front of a crowd of 1,210.
 
Erin Baxter, the 1997 SEC Player of the Year, got the game-winning goal at the 16:15 point of the first half with an assist from 1997 SEC Freshman of the Year Andi Sellers.
 
Sellers added her 21st goal of the season with an eight-yard shot to the lower corner with an assist from sophomore Sarah Yohe to put the Gators up 2-0 at half time.
 
Yohe opened the second half with a 16-yard shot from Katie Tullis at the 47:13 point of the second half. Melissa Pini got in the action with an unassisted goal to give the Gators the 4-0 advantage.
 
Sellers and Baxter combined again to give the Gators the 5-0 lead with Sellers scoring off the Baxter assist. Senior Tina Brendel added the final goal to give the Gators the 6-0 victory.
 
Sellers had six points in the match to increase her season total to 58.  The Gators' 44 shots broke the previous record for shots on goal of 37 set by the Gators in last year's final.  The 49 shot total for both teams broke the record for shots on goal by two teams, also set by Florida and Arkansas in 1996.
 
The win was the Gators' 14th straight, and the 11th shutout of the season.
 
The Gators face Georgia in the semifinals tomorrow at 3 p.m. at Percy Beard Stadium.  The Bulldogs scored three goals in the second half, including a penalty kick, to beat Alabama.