Florida and Mercer Meet Sunday for NCAA Soccer First Round Action at Dizney Stadium
Sunday, November 16, 2014 | Soccer
GAINESVILLE, Florida – No. 2 region seed Florida and Mercer meet Sunday, Nov. 16 for NCAA Soccer Opening Round play. Match time is set for 2 p.m. ET at the Donald R. Dizney Stadium. This is the second meeting between the two programs, with both coming in NCAA play.
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| NCAA Soccer Championship Information - Gainesville, Fla. Site | |
| Florida (14-4-1, 9-2 SEC) versus Mercer (14-5-2, 6-1-2 SoCon) | |
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| Date: | Sunday, Nov. 16 at 2 p.m. |
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| Time: | 2 p.m. |
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| Tickets: | $7.00 adults |
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| $3.00 children 12 & under, students and senior citizens |
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| First 200 UF students with identification (Gator1 ID card) are admitted free |
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| For more information, contact the UAA Ticket Office at (352) 375-4683, ext. 6800 or 1-800-34GATOR, ext. 6800 (state of Florida only) |
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| Internet: | Live stats available on www.NCAASports.com; live audio & video for UF-MU match available at www.GatorZone.com |
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| Florida NCAA History: | |
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| NCAA Field: | |
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Tickets are $7 for adults and $3 for children (12 and under), senior citizen and students. The first 200 UF students showing a Gator1 identification are admitted free.
The match can be seen on the SEC Network+ or listen to Corey Brook's call at GatorZone.com.
NCAA Play at Dizney Stadium
NCAA soccer action makes its debut Sunday at the Donald R. Dizney Stadium. The Florida lacrosse team has played seven NCAA games at the Dizney Stadium since the program received its first NCAA berth in 2011.
The Gator soccer team played two 2014 regular-season matches at the Dizney Stadium to make the venue available if the Gators received a NCAA bid. Florida soccer made its first appearance at Dizney Stadium for a 3-0 win over South Florida on Aug. 22 and also turned in a 3-1 win over Missouri on Sept. 28.
NCAA Action:
UF is one of 32 programs playing host to 2014 NCAA First Round action this weekend. The tournament schedule for the next four weeks is 1-2-1-2. First round play will be Nov. 14, 15 or 16. The second and third rounds will be conducted next weekend (Nov. 21 and 23) at eight campus sites. NCAA Quarterfinal action will be Nov. 28, 29 or 30 on four campus sites with the Women's College Cup set for Dec. 5-7 at the FAU Stadium in Boca Raton, Florida. This is the first Women's College Cup to be held in Boca Raton.
The Mercer at Florida match is the nation's final of NCAA First Round action. Half of the 32 first-round matches are set for Friday, 14 on Saturday and two on Sunday. The other Sunday match – Missouri at Kansas – is also a 2 p.m. ET start.
Team Records:
Florida: 14-4-1, 9-2 SEC
Mercer: 14-5-2, 6-1-2 SoCon
About the Florida Gators:
The Gators have been a NCAA No. 2 or 3 regional seed each of the last nine seasons. Florida received one of the 33 at-large NCAA berths. In last year's NCAA action, Florida reached the second round, falling 1-0 at Duke.
Florida is 7-4 against teams in the 2014 tournament field.
| Gators versus NCAA field in 2014 | ||
| Wins | ||
| Date | Opponent | Result |
| Aug. 24 | USF | W, 2-0 |
| Aug. 31 | @ Oklahoma State | W, 4-0 |
| Sept. 5 | @ No. 1 region seed Florida State | W, 2-1 |
| Sept. 26 | Georgia | W, 2-1 |
| Sept. 28 | Missouri | W, 3-1 |
| Oct. 3 | @ No. 1 region seed Texas A&M | W, 1-0 |
| Oct. 5 | @ Arkansas | W, 3-1 |
| Losses | ||
| Date | Opponent | Result |
| Aug. 29 | @ Oklahoma | L, 2-1 |
| Sept. 12 | @ No. 1 region seed Stanford | L, 1-0 OT |
| Oct. 16 | @ No. 3 region seed South Carolina | L, 3-2 |
| Oct. 19 | @ No. 3 region seed Kentucky | L, 2-0 |
Florida's Becky Burleigh has been the head coach for each of the program's 20 seasons and is one of two women to lead her team to the NCAA title.
Sophomore Savannah Jordan leads the Gators with 36 points off of 15 goals and six assists. Her goals total is tied for 20th in the latest NCAA Division I statistics. The Gators' assist leader (9) is senior outside back Tessa Andujar. Senior Havana Solaun is second among the Gators in goals (6), assists (8) and points (20). Senior Taylor Burke started every match in goal this season and owns a goals-against-average of 0.91.
Five Gators appear on 2014 All-Southeastern Conference teams, including four on the first team. Three Florida players are on the All-SEC first team for the second consecutive year – Jordan, Solaun and defender Christen Westphal. Also earning All-SEC first team honors is Andujar. Florida's other center back, junior Claire Falknor, appears on the All-SEC second team.
Gator NCAA Notes:
● Florida is one of nine programs to hoist the NCAA Championship trophy in the 32-year history of the event. The Gators, in the program's fourth year, took the 1998 NCAA title in Greensboro, North Carolina, with a 1-0 win over North Carolina.
● The Gators have compiled a 25-15-3 record in their previous 17 NCAA appearances.
● Florida's 18 overall NCAA appearances is tied for 15th among Division I programs. Of the teams among the top 15, Florida is the youngest as the UF program is in its 20th season.
● This is Florida's 12th straight NCAA appearance – which ranks 10th for active streaks of consecutive NCAA Championship berths. North Carolina leads all as the Tar Heels have appeared in all 33 NCAA Championship fields.
About the Mercer Bears:
The Bears earned a NCAA Championship automatic bid by upsetting top-seeded Samford 2-1 in Sunday's Southern Conference Championship match. Mercer set a school single-season record with its 14 wins in 2014.
Senior Lauren Gassie leads the Bears with 22 points off of nine goals and four assists. Junior goalkeeper Maggie Cropp has started 18 matches in 2014 and owns a GAA of 0.72. Her 18 saves in the Southern Conference Tournament, including a career-high 12 against Furman on Nov. 7, earned her the Disney Soccer/NSCAA Player of the Week honor.
Mercer is making its second NCAA appearance in 2014. Florida and Mercer met in 2010 NCAA Opening Round action, with the Gators taking a 3-0 win.
