The Burleigh File: 10 Significant Home Matches

Thursday is Gator soccer's 290th home event in program's 26-season history.

It is also the final home appearance for Florida Head Coach Becky Burleigh and Associate Head Coaches Vic Campbell and Alan Kirkup. 

Burleigh and Campbell have been with the Gator program since its debut on Sept. 2, 1995. Kirkup joined the staff in 2006. Burleigh announced in January she is retiring from coaching at the conclusion of the 2020-21 campaign.

Now take a look at 10 memorable matches from the Gators' 229 home wins since 1995.

Sept. 6, 1996       1-0 vs No. 9 Virginia

The first collegiate goal for Sarah Yohe gave then No. 20 Florida its first win versus a top-10 team. 

The only score in the match came in the first half at 35:47 when sophomore Melissa Pini approached the goal box on a solo breakaway and passed to an open Sarah Yohe who took the shot at dead center from 10 yards out.

The 1-0 victory over No. 9 Virginia moved Florida to No. 9 when the next national rankings were released. Florida remained in the top 10 for the remainder of the 1996 season, winning its first Southeastern Conference title and advancing to the NCAA Quarterfinals. 

Nov. 9, 1997        4-2 vs Vanderbilt

Florida successfully defended its league title with a 4-2 win over Vanderbilt in front of a then SEC Tournament record crowd of 2,520 at Percy Beard Stadium. It was the only year Florida played host to the SEC Tournament as the event moved to Orange Beach, Ala., beginning in 2003.

The lead seesawed, with the UF’s Melissa Pini scoring first in the 16th minute. The Commodores tied the match just before halftime and took the lead at 51:01. Sarah Yohe tied the match in the 70th minute and Erin Baxter scored the game-winners in the 78th minute. Adrianne Moreira provided an insurance goal at 85:45.

The win was Florida’s 16th straight win. The last loss? A 2-0 loss to Vanderbilt in Gainesville on Sept. 14, 1997. After that 1997 loss to Vanderbilt, Florida put together a 50-match win streak versus SEC opponents – a stretch that still ranks No. 2 among NCAA Soccer conference wins streaks.

Nov. 16, 2003      4-3 2OT win vs Mississippi

Each of Florida’s opening three wins in 2003 NCAA play were memorable in their own right:

                First Round:          3-2 2OT win versus Central Florida

                Second Round:    4-3 2OT win versus Mississippi

                Third Round:         1-0 win versus Tennessee 

Let’s look closer at that NCAA Second Round victory.

Florida overcame a 3-0 deficit to claim the win – still the largest comeback in the history of the NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Tournament. 

Down 3-0 and with 35 minutes potentially remaining in the season, the Gators began to pound the Mississippi goal.

Robin Fulton’s score in the 62nd minute swung momentum toward the Gators. Less than two minutes later, Megan McMillan headed in Melanie Booth’s corner kick. McMillian scored again, giving UF the tying goal in the 71st minute.

With the match tied a 3-all, it went to overtime – Florida’s third consecutive and seventh of 2003. Ashley Kellgren, who provided Florida with the golden goal in 3-2 win over UCF in the NCAA Opening Round, also had the winner versus Mississippi.

“We definitely had the momentum going into overtime,” Kellgren said.  “There was no way we were going to lose after coming back from three goals down.”

Florida would cap off the greatest comeback in school history at 106:50 when Booth sent a high, bending ball into the box that found the feet of Kellgren. 

For Florida Head Coach Becky Burleigh, it was quite a way to get her 250th career win.

“What a terrific match,” Burleigh said.  “It had enough drama for four games. It was very exciting. I think I aged 20 years. It’s a real testament to our team that we were able to come back from 3-0 against a team which allows very few goals.”

Nov. 4, 2007        3-0 vs Vanderbilt

A 3-0 win over Vanderbilt completed the Gators' ascension from the bottom to the top of the league standings, as then No. 22 Florida claimed its second consecutive and eighth overall Southeastern Conference title.

All the scoring came in the second half, with goals by Ashlee Elliott (65:07), Ameera Abdullah (72:09) and Stacy Bishop (73:13).

Both teams came into the match at the James G. Pressly Stadium looking for the win. Florida needed the three points awarded for a win to move past first-place Georgia in the SEC standings. Vanderbilt was ninth in the SEC standings and needed three points to gain the eighth and final berth in the Nov. 7-11 SEC Tournament in Orange Beach, Ala. 

At the end of September when the Gators opened SEC play with two road losses (at Georgia, 2-1, at Tennessee, 2-0), retaining the SEC title seemed unlikely. At no time prior to the Vanderbilt match did Florida hold a spot better than third in the league standings. But after that opening weekend of league play, the Gators strung together nine consecutive wins – including eight shutouts - to claim the title. 

“I think this one is really special considering the circumstances in which we won it – losing the first two games in the first weekend and then having to kind of battle back each week. We had to keep the faith that we still would have a chance to win it,” Burleigh said. “We had a little chat as a team right after the Tennessee loss and we just said that we are playing too well for this not to turn around and we just had to keep the faith and work really hard to make it happen. I think the team really bought into that and believed that so they deserve big credit for believing that it was possible.”

“We controlled our own fate. If we won this game, we would win the championship and be able to celebrate it on our Senior Day, at home with all of our fans and family,” Hudson said. “It is a great feeling to be able to celebrate it at home.”

Aug. 25, 2017      3-2 versus Stanford

The nation's marquee match of the weekend - No. T-1 Stanford at No. 14 Florida - didn't lack for drama. 

For the first 81 minutes, the Gators were either trailing or tied with the Cardinal.

That changed in the 82nd minute.

Laís Araujo followed the ball sent down the center of the box by Melanie Monteagudo. She held off her defender as the two challenged for possession. Araujo took a touch right to make a bit of space and then banged in a right-footed six-yard shot off the post and into the goal for her first Gator goal, which also served as the game winner. 

Goalkeeper Susi Espinoza made the stop on Stanford's Catarina Macario's shot in the 90th minute for the final play of the match.

That registered Florida's first win in six tries versus the traditional soccer power.