GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida soccer sent its 10-member senior class out with a 3-0 win over Arkansas on a drizzly Thursday evening at the Donald R. Dizney Stadium.
 
That result seals a spot in next week's Southeastern Conference Tournament in Orange Beach, Ala. Florida begins play Sunday against Auburn at 4:30 p.m. ET. The SEC Network shows all nine matches of the SEC Tournament. .


 
Thursday's Scoring:
The opening goal came in the 10^th minute when a pair of seniors connected. At the top of the Razorback defensive third, Laís Araujo's pass found Briana Solis making a run through the middle. The ball got ahead of Solis and deflected off a defender's leg back to Solis. She continued her run and sent a right-footed 20-yard strike to the upper far netting.
 
A pair of goals in a four-minute span by sophomore Deanne Rose early in the second half pushed Florida's lead out to 3-0. From the middle of the field, Pelayo made a move to evade her marker and then spied Rose ready to make a run. Rose caught up with the ball Pelayo played down the middle of the field and her left-footed strike scored from 14 yards in the 53^rd minute.
 
In the 57^th minute, the ball Carina Baltrip-Reyes sent from just inside the Arkansas half deflected off a Razorback foot. Rose gathered up the ball and sent it right to Tess Sapone just as she was entering the top of the box. Sapone sent the ball back to Rose as she made a run down the middle of the box. Rose finished the scoring for the match with her 10-yard shot.
   
Record Set:
With tonight's result, senior goalkeeper Kaylan Marckese set Florida's career shutouts record at 28. Thursday's result is her fifth shutout of 2018.
 
The record was set by Katie Fraine (2007-10) and matched by Taylor Burke (2011-14).
 
Notes:

• Senior Night has accounted for half of Solis' four collegiate goals. She hit her first collegiate goal during Florida's 2015 Senior Night – also against Arkansas.
• Rose recorded her fourth double-goal match of her collegiate career. This was her seventh 2018 appearance for Florida due to Canadian Senior National Team play.
• Tonight's result was the first shutout for a loss this season for the Razorbacks. The only other match UA did not score was a 0-0 double overtime tie at Mississippi State.

 
Celebrate the Gator Seniors:
Florida's 10-member senior class – Laís Araujo, Brittney Bennett, Courtney Douglas, Kaylan Marckese, Melanie Monteagudo, Mayra Pelayo, Rachelle Smith, Briana Solis, Sarah Troccoli and Sara Wilson – was honored in a pre-match ceremony. The Gators won the 2015 SEC title, two SEC Tournament titles (2015 and 2016) and advanced to the 2015, 2016 and 2017 NCAA Tournament.
The 10 seniors is the second-largest class in the program's 24-year history – second only to the 13 in 1998. One of Florida's seniors was unable to play Thursday. Smith's collegiate season ended with an anterior cruciate ligament tear versus Florida State.

 
Hear from the Gators:
On Florida's performance…
"I just told them afterwards that I was inspired by their performance. I know this team is capable of that all the time. I think that has been the most frustrating part of the season is that sometimes we haven't brought that. I think they just need to continue to believe and take it one game at a time. Every day is Senior Day." – Florida coach Becky Burleigh
 
On what this game means moving forward…
"We have talked all along about having some momentum. Hopefully this is what kicks us off." - Florida coach Becky Burleigh
 
On scoring the first goal of the match…
"We knew we were in for a battle tonight. Arkansas is always known for just going after everything and giving us a fight. Our first five minutes we were going at them and trying to keep the ball. I made a little mistake at the top of the box and we've just been talking about continuing to fight through it so I was able to deflect the pass that she was trying to get out and finish it. - – Senior midfielder Briana Solis
 
On heading into the SEC Tournament after this win…
"It feels great. So it's just believing in ourselves and continuing to fight." – Senior midfielder Briana Solis
  
On scoring two goals…
"It felt really good to break the barrier, to break the seal, finally getting some goals and seeing our team perform well." - Sophomore forward Deanne Rose
 
On scoring two goals back-to-back…
"As a striker once you get the first goal they just come. And being in front of the goal the more you are, the more comfortable you get and I think that's what happened." – Sophomore forward Deanne Rose
 
On tonight's match…
"I felt great, honestly, especially senior night, last time on the home field probably. Just to work like that together and to put that effort out for them for each other, for the other seniors, for Lo [Evans] continuously. The soccer we put in there was gorgeous. I'm still smiling, it feels so good to be to recognized on this night with all the rest of the team, the other seniors. It feels amazing it does." – Senior goalkeeper Kaylan Marckese


 
2018 Records:
Florida: 6-9-3, 4-4-2 SEC
Arkansas: 11-4-3, 6-3-1 SEC
 
Series Record:
Florida leads 22-1.
 
Next Up:
2018 Southeastern Conference Tournament play begins Sunday in Orange Beach, Ala. Each of the nine matches of the SEC Tournament air live on the SEC Network.
 

FIRST ROUND: October 28	Match 1 - LSU vs Missouri	2 p.m. ET	SEC Network
	Match 2 - Florida vs Auburn	4:30 pm	SEC Network
QUARTERFINALS: October 30	Match 3 - Tennessee vs Winner Match #1	1 pm	SEC Network
	Match 4 - Texas A&M vs South Carolina	3:30 pm	SEC Network
	Match 5 - Vanderbilt vs Winner Match #2	6 pm	SEC Network
	Match 6 - Arkansas vs Mississippi	8:30 pm	SEC Network
SEMIFINALS: November 1	Match 7 - W Match #5 vs W Match #6	4:30 pm	SEC Network
	Match 8 - W Match #3 vs W Match #4	7 pm	SEC Network
FINAL: November 4	Championship - W Match #8 vs W Match #7	3 pm	SEC Network

 
Arkansas (11-4-3, 6-3-1 SEC) at Florida (6-9-3, 4-4-2 SEC)  
Donald R. Dizney Stadium (519)
75 degrees, winds ENE 9 mph, 75% humidity
 

Goals by Period	1	2	Total
Arkansas	0	0	0
Florida	1	2	3

 

No.	Time	Team	Goal Scorer	Assist	Description
1.	9:31	UF	Briana Solis		20 yard shot
2.	52:51	UF	Deanne Rose	Mayra Pelayo	14 yard shot
3.	56:35	UF	Deanne Rose	Tess Sapone	10 yard shot

 
Shots: ARK 7, UF 11
Saves: ARK 3 (Taylor Beitz 3), UF 3 (Kaylan Marckese 3)