A new season begins this week when Southeastern Conference play kicks off. The Gators open league play Thursday at Louisiana State.
Gators Opens SEC Play Thursday at LSU
Tuesday, September 17, 2019 | Soccer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Southeastern Conference play opens around the league this weekend. Florida is at 2018 SEC Tournament champion Louisiana State Thursday on the opening evening of 2019 SEC action.
Thursday, Sept. 19 at Louisiana State
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Streaming Video: SEC Network +
Radio: ESPN Gainesville 98.1 FM / 850 AM with Kyle Crooks calling the action
Live Stats
2019 Records: Florida 4-4 / LSU 2-4-1
Series Record: Florida leads 18-1-2
Last Week's Matches:
Florida enters Thursday's match after a pair of home wins. Florida posted its highest single match goals total with its 4-0 win over Florida Gulf Coast on Sept. 12. All the first half scoring came from players scoring their first Gator goals. Vanessa Kara, who joined the Gators this season as graduate transfer from Drexel, opened the match with a pair of goals. Her first came in the 14th minute when she one-touched in the cross from Cassidy Lindley. Then Kara put in Madison Alexander's shot that kicked off the post at 25:14. First half scoring closed in the 37th minute freshman Kouri Peace scored from 12 yards. Parker Roberts finished the scoring in the 71st minute when she headed in Laney Steed's corner kick.
Florida completed non-conference play with a 3-0 win over Miami Sunday at Dizney Stadium. After a scoreless first 45 minutes, the Gators turned in all the scoring for the match in an 18-minute span. Sophomore Cassidy Lindley got it started with a 20-yard strike in the 50th minute. Then Vanessa Kara put in the cross from Kit Loferski in the 62nd minute. Senior Sammie Betters scored her first goal of the season in the 68th minute off Parker Roberts' second assist of the evening. The win gave Becky Burleigh her 500th career win, making her the only woman among the three coaches in NCAA Division 1 soccer history to reach the milestone total.
After her three goals in Florida's two final non-conference matches, Vanessa Kara claimed the SEC Offensive Player of the Week honor. She is the second Gator to earn the honor, as Deanne Rose was Week 1 recipient.
Last Meeting Between Gators-LSU:
In the last meeting between UF and LSU, the Gators took a come-from-behind 4-1 win at the Donald R. Dizney Stadium on Sept. 23, 2108. Alyssa Howell tied the score in the 43rd minute by hitting her second collegiate goal. Florida scored three unanswered second-half goals. Lais Araujo and Madison Alexander scored goals in the 50th and 61st minutes, respectively. Scoring closed in the 84th minute when Courtney Douglas headed in her first collegiate goal on her first collegiate shot.
About the Tigers:
LSU posted a 2-4-1 record in 2019 non-conference play. Thursday's SEC opener is the Tigers' third home match of 2019 (1-0 win McNeese State and Sunday's 1-0 loss to Arizona State). LSU opened the season with a 1-0 loss at Villanova and then finished the opening weekend with a 1-0 2OT win at Navy. In other road action, LSU lost 1-0 to No. 1 North Carolina, 6-0 at No. 12 Duke and tied Samford 2-2 2OT.
Senior Marlena Cutura leads the Tigers with four points off of one goal and two assists. Redshirt junior Emma Grace Goldman has played all but 45 minutes in goal for the Tigers in 2019 and owns a goals-against-average of 1.66. Debbie Hensley was named the Tigers' interim head coach June 24, 2019. She has been a part of the LSU staff for the past 12 years, serving as associate head coach for the last nine.
Thursday, Sept. 19 at Louisiana State
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Streaming Video: SEC Network +
Radio: ESPN Gainesville 98.1 FM / 850 AM with Kyle Crooks calling the action
Live Stats
2019 Records: Florida 4-4 / LSU 2-4-1
Series Record: Florida leads 18-1-2
Last Week's Matches:
Florida enters Thursday's match after a pair of home wins. Florida posted its highest single match goals total with its 4-0 win over Florida Gulf Coast on Sept. 12. All the first half scoring came from players scoring their first Gator goals. Vanessa Kara, who joined the Gators this season as graduate transfer from Drexel, opened the match with a pair of goals. Her first came in the 14th minute when she one-touched in the cross from Cassidy Lindley. Then Kara put in Madison Alexander's shot that kicked off the post at 25:14. First half scoring closed in the 37th minute freshman Kouri Peace scored from 12 yards. Parker Roberts finished the scoring in the 71st minute when she headed in Laney Steed's corner kick.
Florida completed non-conference play with a 3-0 win over Miami Sunday at Dizney Stadium. After a scoreless first 45 minutes, the Gators turned in all the scoring for the match in an 18-minute span. Sophomore Cassidy Lindley got it started with a 20-yard strike in the 50th minute. Then Vanessa Kara put in the cross from Kit Loferski in the 62nd minute. Senior Sammie Betters scored her first goal of the season in the 68th minute off Parker Roberts' second assist of the evening. The win gave Becky Burleigh her 500th career win, making her the only woman among the three coaches in NCAA Division 1 soccer history to reach the milestone total.
After her three goals in Florida's two final non-conference matches, Vanessa Kara claimed the SEC Offensive Player of the Week honor. She is the second Gator to earn the honor, as Deanne Rose was Week 1 recipient.
Last Meeting Between Gators-LSU:
In the last meeting between UF and LSU, the Gators took a come-from-behind 4-1 win at the Donald R. Dizney Stadium on Sept. 23, 2108. Alyssa Howell tied the score in the 43rd minute by hitting her second collegiate goal. Florida scored three unanswered second-half goals. Lais Araujo and Madison Alexander scored goals in the 50th and 61st minutes, respectively. Scoring closed in the 84th minute when Courtney Douglas headed in her first collegiate goal on her first collegiate shot.
About the Tigers:
LSU posted a 2-4-1 record in 2019 non-conference play. Thursday's SEC opener is the Tigers' third home match of 2019 (1-0 win McNeese State and Sunday's 1-0 loss to Arizona State). LSU opened the season with a 1-0 loss at Villanova and then finished the opening weekend with a 1-0 2OT win at Navy. In other road action, LSU lost 1-0 to No. 1 North Carolina, 6-0 at No. 12 Duke and tied Samford 2-2 2OT.
Senior Marlena Cutura leads the Tigers with four points off of one goal and two assists. Redshirt junior Emma Grace Goldman has played all but 45 minutes in goal for the Tigers in 2019 and owns a goals-against-average of 1.66. Debbie Hensley was named the Tigers' interim head coach June 24, 2019. She has been a part of the LSU staff for the past 12 years, serving as associate head coach for the last nine.
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