COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Florida soccer team finished Southeastern Conference regular-season play with 1-0 win Thursday at Missouri on a crisp fall evening at the Audrey J. Walton Complex.
These two teams will meet again Wednesday in Orange Beach, Ala., at the SEC Tournament. The finale of Wednesday's four-match schedule will be a rematch of tonight's contest. Florida and Missouri will play at 8:30 p.m. ET and that match airs live on the SEC Network.
How the Gators' Scored Their Goal:
The only goal of the match came off Florida's final corner kick of the opening half.
Gabby Seiler's kick went to near post where senior
Pamela Begic headed it across the goal. Missouri's clearance attempt went to just above the box where freshman
Julia Lester stepped up for her opportunity. Her right-footed volley scored from 20-yards in the upper slot of the near post.
Worth Noting:
- Lester's goal was her second of the season. Her first also was on road, scoring from just inside the top of the box at LSU.
- Florida now has seven shutouts this season, with six in the last eight matches. It was the 12th solo shutout for Gator sophomore Kaylan Marckese. Among her four saves Thursday was a hard shot from MU's Jasmine Johnson just above the six-yard box in the 19th minute.
- Thursday's result was Missouri's second home loss of the 2016 season. The Tigers were 9-2 in 2016 home action, with the other loss coming to Iowa in overtime on Aug. 21.
- The final Gator soccer match under Jeremy Foley's tenure as UF's athletic director is the 386th win in the program's history. Soccer was the first of three women's sports added under Foley's watch – soccer (1995), softball (1997) and lacrosse (2010).
2016 Records:
Florida: 13-4, 8-3 SEC
MU: 11-6-1, 6-4-1 SEC
Hear from the Gators:
On today's match:
"I thought it was an outstanding defensive effort. From the goalkeeper, defenders, midfielders to forwards, I thought we did a really good job.
"There were times in the first half when we really kept the ball well. In the second half it got a little helter skelter as they were putting numbers forward. But to withstand that kind of pressure on the road, I thought that was really defensively sound of us." - Florida Head Coach
Becky Burleigh
On her game winning goal:
"It was a corner and I thought 'Well, here's a good opportunity for the team to score.' Gabby (Seiler) sent a perfect cross into the box and I saw the defender head it out. I backed up and let it take a bounce to gather my composure. I just kicked it and it went in at the right side of the goal. I was pretty excited." – freshman defender
Julia Lester
Final SEC standings: Florida tied for third with an 8-3 record and Missouri finished fifth with a 6-4-1 record.
Rankings:
Florida is ranked No. 17 on the latest
National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) poll and Missouri is receiving votes.
Next up:
SEC Tournament action begins next week at the Orange Beach SportsPlex in Orange Beach, Ala.
Florida is the defending SEC Tournament champion and will open play Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. ET against Missouri.
All SEC Tournament play-in, first and semifinal rounds will air live on the SEC Network. Sunday's SEC Tournament title match airs live on ESPNU at 4 p.m. ET.
SEC Tournament
Orange Beach, Ala.
Monday, October 31
#7 Tennessee vs. #10 Mississippi 4:30 p.m.
#8 Texas A&M vs. #9 Alabama 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, November 2
#2 Auburn vs. Winner Gm 1 1:00 p.m.
#3 Arkansas vs. #6 Vanderbilt 3:30 p.m.
#1 South Carolina vs. Winner Gm 2 6:00 p.m.
#4 Florida vs. #5 Missouri 8:30 p.m.
Friday, November 4
Winners Games 5 & 6 4:30 p.m.
Winners Games 3 & 4 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 6
SEC Tournament 4:00 p.m.
Follow the Gators:
No. 17 Florida at RV Missouri
Stadium: Audrey J. Walton Complex (660)
Weather: mostly cloudy, 57 degrees, 89% humidity, NNW 6 mph
| Goals by Period |
1 |
2 |
Total |
| Florida |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| Missouri |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Scoring Summary:
| No. |
Time |
Team |
Goal Scorer |
Assist |
Description |
| 1. |
35:35 |
UF |
Julia Lester |
|
20yd shot off clearance |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shots: Florida 14, MU 16
Saves: Florida 4 (
Kaylan Marckese 4), Missouri 6 (Kelsey Dossey 5, Team 1)
Cautions and Ejections:
Peyton Joseph/MU – yellow (53:35), Erin Webb/MU – yellow (60:54),
Rachelle Smith/UF – yellow (74:49), Melanie Donaldson/MU – yellow (84:09)
