Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Florida – A goal in each half gave the University of Florida soccer team a 2-1 win over Georgia Friday evening in front of a James G. Pressly Stadium crowd of 2,244. It was the Southeastern Conference home opener for the Gators.

The Gators scored first when senior Lauren Silver served the ball to the top of the six-yard box. Sophomore Brooke Sharp raised her right knee to use her foot to redirect the ball into the goal in the 24^th minute.

The Bulldogs knotted the score a bit over four minutes later. Just inside the Florida half, Rachel Garcia flicked the ball forward to Gabby Seiler, located just above the 18-yard box. Her left-footed one-touch forward found sophomore Marion Crowder making a run through the box. Florida goalkeeper Taylor Burke came out to make the stop but Crowder touched it just past her to make one more contact before scoring her team-leading sixth goal of the season.

The game-winning goal was the only score of the second half. Junior Claire Falknor won the ball just below the midfield circle on the Florida half. She took a couple of touches to just outside the circle, looked up and saw an opportunity. The long ball she launched found Savannah Jordan midway in the Georgia half. Goalkeeper Louise Hogrell came out to make the stop just above the box but couldn't get a good touch. The two bumped, causing Jordan to stumble, but she bounced up quickly to continue her run, scoring on the empty goal.

Gator Stars:

·         Sharp, making her first start of the season and the second of her Gator career, scored the first goal of the match. It was her third goal of the season and the fourth career goal for the sophomore.

·         Jordan pushed her team-leading season goals total to six with her goal in the second half. It was her first game-winning goal of the season and the 10^th of the sophomore's career.

·         Burke turned in a season-high seven saves Friday, one more than her previous high of six at then No. 4 Stanford on Sept. 12

2014 Records:

Florida: 7-2, 2-0 SEC

Georgia: 6-2-1, 1-1-1 SEC

What the Gators Said:

Were you expecting the way Georgia played tonight?

"Just like we've seen a couple of times earlier this year, the scouting report we have on teams doesn't match up with what they do. I think teams are game-planning for us, which makes it hard for us to game plan until we get into the game to see what they are going to do. That required some change on our part to counteract what they were doing." – Florida Head Coach Becky Burleigh

What happened on your goal?

"The ball got played out to Lauren Silver. I knew she would be playing a good ball so I was just waiting for it. It was an easy ball – I just hit it in. It was perfect. I knew it would be, so I was just there waiting. I just dinked it in." - sophomore Brooke Sharp

How did your think the team handled the Georgia pressure?

"Georgia came out with high pressure, they were coming after us hard. I think our back line did a great job of staying composed. Taylor Burke did a great job in goal, clearing a couple for us that were pretty close. I think our team kept possession pretty well. We had to change up a little bit and press them too out of the back. Our team stepped up to the challenge. I'm proud of how we played." – sophomore Savannah Jordan

What happened on your goal?

"Claire [Falknor] got possession of the ball and we had been looking for each other all game. She kind of made eye contact with me and played a great ball over the top. Their line was really high and I just took off. I saw the goalkeeper come out so I took a touch around her. I fell a little bit and then finished the goal. It was a great initial win [of the ball] by our team off of I believe a goal kick and then Claire played a great ball to me." –sophomore forward Savannah Jordan

What did you see that led to the assist on Savannah Jordan's goal?

"I just remember stepping in front of the ball and I won it. I was trying to look up to find someone to play to feet but then I saw Savannah. I know she always makes those runs so I just played it up to her and she got on to it and finished." – junior defender Claire Falknor

What led to the game-winning goal?

"We had talked at halftime about how they were holding a pretty high line and so we knew we could play over them. It was great for Claire [Falknor] to see that. That was a really tough finish by Savannah [Jordan] because she took a little punishment finishing, but that's something she's done a lot of." – Florida Head Coach Becky Burleigh

How do you stay focused while playing in goal?

"The whole game I'm communicating with the field players. It keeps me locked in. In the first half we had a lot of action. The backline played awesome the whole game. It was great to see them be consistent throughout the whole game." – senior goalkeeper Taylor Burke

How did it feel to have the crowd behind you for the first time in a month?

"It was good. I like playing away too because I like when the fans yell at us. Either way, I like it." –junior defender Claire Falknor

Worth Noting
This is the third Friday of 2014 that Florida faces a top-25 team (2-1 win at then No. 2 Florida State on Sept. 5 & 1-0 OT loss at then No. 4 Stanford on Sept. 12).

This was the first meeting between Florida and Georgia since 2010 that both programs brought a top-25 ranking into the match and the fifth time in the 29 all-time meetings.

Florida now is 26-2-1 all-time versus Georgia, which includes a 10-0-1 home record. The first meeting between these SEC rivals in 1995 resulted in the only tie in the series history (0-0 2OT).

Preseason Conference Votes:

Florida shared the 2013 Southeastern Conference title with Texas A&M as each team posted 9-2 league records. Georgia took sixth in the SEC in 2013 with its 5-5-1 record.

Florida – The Gators are picked to win the Southeastern Conference.

UGA – The Bulldogs are picked to take seventh in the SEC.

Rankings:

Florida is ranked No. 7 and Georgia is No. 22 on the fifth National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) poll.

Next up:

SEC home play continues when Florida plays host to Missouri on Sunday, Sept. 28 at 2 p.m. Admission is free for all Gator regular-season home matches. Match time is set for 2 p.m. and airs live on ESPNU (Gainesville/Ocala Cox cable channel 251 or 1251). It can also be seen WatchESPN.

Missouri upset No. 14 South Carolina 1-0 in Columbia, South Carolina, on Friday.

Sunday's match will be played at the Donald R. Dizney Stadium, which is located on Hull Road and Natural Area Drive (across from the Katie Seashole Pressly Softball Stadium).

Take advantage of Dollar Day at Gator Soccer. Be sure to visit the concession stand as popcorn and 12oz fountain soda are only $1 each. Come early for the kids to get their faces painted and they also can make posters for their favorite Gators.

Join the Florida Soccer team helping those in need. Bring a non-perishable food item to the game to be registered to win a Florida Soccer prize pack. Donated items benefit numerous banks and pantries around the community.

Hear Adam Schick and Matthew Stubbington's call of Sunday's match at GatorZone.com.

No. 22 Georgia (6-2-1, 1-1-1 SEC) at No. 7 Florida (7-2-0, 2-0-0 SEC)

James G. Pressly Stadium (2,244)

Weather: 80 degrees, 76% humidity, wind NE at 10 mph

Scoring Summary:

Shots: Georgia 12, Florida 10

Saves: Georgia 4 (Louise Hogrell 4) , Florida 7 (Taylor Burke 7)