Mayra Pelayo (above) and the rest of the No. 9 Gators face No. 13 Florida State Friday at the James G. Pressly Stadium for the Fresh from Florida Sunshine Showdown
Top-15 Match-Up Friday: No. 9 Florida vs No. 13 FSU
Wednesday, September 6, 2017 | Soccer
This is the 10th consecutive season both teams bring a top-25 ranking into a Fresh from Florida Sunshine Showdown.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Another Friday night and it's another top-15 opponent for No. 9 Florida. The Gators face their second top-15 opponent of the season when No. 13 Florida State comes to the James G. Pressly Stadium for the Fresh from Florida Sunshine Showdown.
It is one of two match-ups across the nation Friday that features top-15 teams (No. 11 Duke at No. 3 West Virginia). This is the second UF home match listed among NCAA.com's Aug. 9 10 Must-See Games to Start the Season article.
Match time is 7 p.m. Friday at the James G. Pressly Stadium. Admission is free for all Gator soccer regular-season matches.
The Florida-Florida State series has gone back and forth in recent years. After three consecutive Seminole wins in 2011, 2012 and 2013, the Gators have taken the last two meetings (Hurricane Hermine caused cancellation of the 2016 meeting).. The Gators own a 13-10 advantage in the all-time series. This is the 15th time since 2000 and 10th consecutive both teams come into a meeting ranked in the nation's top 25.
Match Promotions
Show your Gator support! The first 250 fans receive a free performance t-shirt.
Dinner for hungry students is on the Gators. The first 100 UF students get free pizza.
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
Friday's match is available on SEC Network + (must be a SEC Network subscriber). It also can be heard on ESPN 98.1 FM / 850 AM or on GatorVision.com. Calling Friday's action is Kyle Crooks and Matthew Stubbington.
In Last Weekend's Seattle Action:
Florida was on both ends of 1-0 results last weekend at the Nike/Husky Invitational in Seattle, Wash. The Gators lost 1-0 to tournament host Washington after conceding a long goal in the second minute. Florida finished tournament play with a 1-0 win over Portland on Sunday. Senior captain Gabby Seiler scored the game-winner in the 24th minute, with Laís Araujo and Deanne Rose earning their first collegiate assists on the play. Sophomore Susi Espinoza recorded three saves in her third shutout of the season. Among those saves was a stop on a short, hard shot by Pilot Ellie Walker in the 62nd minute.
About Florida State:
Florida State opened the season with three consecutive wins (3-0 UNC Greensboro, 2-1 South Alabama, 4-2 at Samford) before dropping a 1-0 match at Alabama. The Seminoles bounced back with a 4-0 home win over Kentucky last Sunday.
Sophomore Deyna Castellanos, who led the Seminoles with seven goals in 2016, is again leading FSU with six goals in five matches. She is among the 10 players in contention for The Best FIFA Women's Player 2017.
Florida State is the Atlantic Coast Conference pick to repeat as conference champion.
FSU's Mark Krikorian is in his 13th season as the Seminole's head coach.
Records:
Florida: 5-1-0, 0-0 SEC
Florida State: 4-1-0, 0-0 ACC
Preseason Conference Votes:
Florida tied for third in the 2016 SEC regular-season standings and won the SEC Tournament title. Florida State won the 2017 Atlantic Coast Conference title.
Rankings:
Florida ranks No. 9 on the United Soccer Coaches (USC) poll and Florida State is No. 13.
It is one of two match-ups across the nation Friday that features top-15 teams (No. 11 Duke at No. 3 West Virginia). This is the second UF home match listed among NCAA.com's Aug. 9 10 Must-See Games to Start the Season article.
Match time is 7 p.m. Friday at the James G. Pressly Stadium. Admission is free for all Gator soccer regular-season matches.
The Florida-Florida State series has gone back and forth in recent years. After three consecutive Seminole wins in 2011, 2012 and 2013, the Gators have taken the last two meetings (Hurricane Hermine caused cancellation of the 2016 meeting).. The Gators own a 13-10 advantage in the all-time series. This is the 15th time since 2000 and 10th consecutive both teams come into a meeting ranked in the nation's top 25.
Match Promotions
Show your Gator support! The first 250 fans receive a free performance t-shirt.
Dinner for hungry students is on the Gators. The first 100 UF students get free pizza.
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
Friday's match is available on SEC Network + (must be a SEC Network subscriber). It also can be heard on ESPN 98.1 FM / 850 AM or on GatorVision.com. Calling Friday's action is Kyle Crooks and Matthew Stubbington.
In Last Weekend's Seattle Action:
Florida was on both ends of 1-0 results last weekend at the Nike/Husky Invitational in Seattle, Wash. The Gators lost 1-0 to tournament host Washington after conceding a long goal in the second minute. Florida finished tournament play with a 1-0 win over Portland on Sunday. Senior captain Gabby Seiler scored the game-winner in the 24th minute, with Laís Araujo and Deanne Rose earning their first collegiate assists on the play. Sophomore Susi Espinoza recorded three saves in her third shutout of the season. Among those saves was a stop on a short, hard shot by Pilot Ellie Walker in the 62nd minute.
About Florida State:
Florida State opened the season with three consecutive wins (3-0 UNC Greensboro, 2-1 South Alabama, 4-2 at Samford) before dropping a 1-0 match at Alabama. The Seminoles bounced back with a 4-0 home win over Kentucky last Sunday.
Sophomore Deyna Castellanos, who led the Seminoles with seven goals in 2016, is again leading FSU with six goals in five matches. She is among the 10 players in contention for The Best FIFA Women's Player 2017.
Florida State is the Atlantic Coast Conference pick to repeat as conference champion.
FSU's Mark Krikorian is in his 13th season as the Seminole's head coach.
Records:
Florida: 5-1-0, 0-0 SEC
Florida State: 4-1-0, 0-0 ACC
Preseason Conference Votes:
Florida tied for third in the 2016 SEC regular-season standings and won the SEC Tournament title. Florida State won the 2017 Atlantic Coast Conference title.
- Florida – The SEC coaches picked the Gators to win the 2017 Southeastern Conference title.
- Florida State – The Seminoles are picked to repeat as ACC champions.
Rankings:
Florida ranks No. 9 on the United Soccer Coaches (USC) poll and Florida State is No. 13.
Players Mentioned
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Saturday, April 11
Kyra Taylor - 4-11-2026
Saturday, April 11
Sophia Sindelar 4-11-2026
Saturday, April 11
Abby Gemma - pre USA Camp 260328
Tuesday, March 31
