No. 7 Florida Soccer Opens SEC Play with Visit to Kentucky Friday
Thursday, September 23, 2010 | Soccer
The No. 7 University of Florida soccer team (6-1-1, 0-0 SEC) opens Southeastern Conference play with a visit to Kentucky (6-2-0, 0-0 SEC) on Friday, Sept. 24. Match time is set for 7 p.m. at the UK Soccer Complex.
| Friday's Match Info: |
| Florida vs. Kentucky Friday, Sept. 24 @ 7 p.m. (ET) Site: UK Soccer Complex (1,500) The Coaches: Becky Burleigh, 16th season @ UF (352-94-30/20 seasons overall - 270-71-24/UF), John Lipsitz, ninth season overall and second season at UK (112-45-12/overall & 11-12-4 UK) Television: none Radio: live on WRUF-AM 850 Internet: live stats and streaming audio for UF-UK match available on www.GatorZone.com Tickets: $5.00 for adults, $2.00 for Seniors and Youth - all general admission tickets. For further info, contact the UK Ticket Office at 1-800-928-2287. |
| Click here to see interviews with Gator juniors Jazmyne Avant and Tahnai Annis. |
The last two meetings between these two teams resulted in overtime wins for Florida, with Lindsay Thompson providing the golden goal both times. In 2008 in Lexington, Florida trailed the Wildcats 2-0 before receiving goals from Tahnai Annis and Nicky Kit within a two-minute span of the second half. Thompson scored the game-winner in the 103rd minute. Last year, Thompson scored both Gator goals, including a penalty kick in the 100th minute to give UF the 2-1 OT win.
Florida experienced its first non-winning results of the season last weekend at the Duke Nike Classic in Durham, N.C. In the opening day of tournament action on Sept. 17, Florida and then No. 17 Duke played to a 1-1 2OT tie. It was the first tie in the nine all-time meetings between the two teams. McKenzie Barney put in Taylor Travis' shot deflection off the cross bar in the 53rd minute to open the scoring, but UF again allowed a goal in the final two minutes of regulation to go to its second consecutive overtime. The Gators lost to two-time defending NCAA champion and current No. 1 North Carolina 2-0 in the tournament's final day on Sept. 19. UF had chances to score but failed to capitalize on those opportunities. Both of the Tar Heels goals came in the second half.
Kentucky is on a three-match win streak, shutting out Marshall (1-0/Sept. 12), Evansville (1-0/Sept. 15) and South Alabama (2-0/Sept. 19). The Wildcats have won each of the five matches played at the UK Soccer Complex this season. Junior Kelsey Hunyadi leads UK with four goals and eight points. UK senior goalkeeper Sydney Hiance, the current SEC Defensive Player of the Week, is 30th in the nation with her save percentage of 0.878.
Friday's match can be heard on WRUF AM 850, by simulcast on Cox Channel 946 (Gainesville/Ocala) or on www.GatorZone.com with Adam Schick covering the action.
