Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Gator soccer continues Southeastern Conference action Sunday with Alabama.
 
Match time is 6 p.m. Thursday at the James G. Pressly Stadium. Admission is free for all Gator soccer regular-season matches.
 
Match Promotions
The first 250 fans receive Gator sunglasses!
 
Youth are invited to come to field post-match to hear from the Gators as part of Florida's Watch the Player, Meet the Person season-long initiative.
 
Here's how to follow the Gators
Watch the action on SEC Network + with Matthew Stubbington and Bernie Guenther calling the action.
 
Listen to Kyle Crooks and Taylor Burke's call of the match at ESPN 98.1 FM / 850 AM or on GatorVision.com.
 
Last Meeting
Alabama also visited Gainesville last season, with Florida taking a 6-0 win. First half scorers were Savannah Jordan and Melanie Monteagudo. Meggie Dougherty Howard scored on Florida's fourth penalty kick attempt of the season to open second-half scoring. Then in less than four minutes, Florida got goals from Brooke Sharp, Pamela Begic and Kit Loferski. The shutout was Florida's fifth of the season.
 
Gators in Thursday's SEC Action:
In Florida's last outing, Texas A&M scored a long goal in each half Thursday to take a 2-1 win in front of 2,345 Ellis Field fans. Cienna Arrieta took the throw-in and hit a 35-yard shot in 34th minute. Florida tied the match in the 47th minute when Gabby Seiler sent a ball down the middle of the field to find Deanne Rose at the top of the box. Rose just got a foot on it to chip it over the goalkeeper who was off her line. The game winner came in the 66th minute. Kendall Ritchie's left-footed 45-yard free kick scored at the upper slot. It was the first Aggies home win over UF since joining the SEC for the 2012 season. TAMU now leads the all-time series 7-6.
 
About the Tide:
Florida will be Alabama's third top-10 opponent of 2017. The Tide handed then No. 6 Florida State its first loss of 2017 in Aug. 27 home action (1-0) and opened SEC action with a 1-0 loss at No. 3 South Carolina on Sept. 15. Alabama is coming off a 1-1 double overtime tie Thursday versus Louisiana State.
 
The Tide are receiving votes on the United Soccer Coaches rankings and is No. 24 on the current Soccer America poll.
 
Junior Emma Welch leads the Tide with 10 points off of two goals and six assists. Junior Abbie Boswell and freshman Taylor Morgan's three goals each leads Alabama.
 
Head Coach Wes Hart is in his third season with Alabama.
 
Records:
Florida: 7-2-0, 1-1 SEC
Alabama: 8-2-1, 1-0-1 SEC
 
Preseason Conference Votes:
Florida tied for third in the 2016 SEC regular-season standings and won the SEC Tournament title. The Tide finished ninth in the SEC in 2016 at 4-5-2 and posted a final record of 9-8-2.
 

• Florida – The SEC coaches picked the Gators to win the 2017 Southeastern Conference title.
• Alabama – The Tide is picked to place 10th in the SEC.

 
Rankings:
Florida ranks No. 6 on the United Soccer Coaches (USC) poll and Alabama is receiving votes.