The Gators celebrate their second goal, a penalty kick by redshirt sophomore Oakley Rasmussen (22), in their 2-0 defeat of East Carolina. Photo by Emma Bissell
Year 2 Soccer Reset Starts With Smiles
Friday, August 18, 2023 | Soccer, Chris Harry
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Anna DeLeon still may be wearing the smile that beamed across her face late Thursday night. The Florida senior defender was gushing about her team's 2023 season-opening victory over East Carolina at Dizney Stadium, where the Gators fought through a scoreless first half with a pair of second-half goals for a 2-0 win.
"I mean this from the bottom of my heart," DeLeon said. "This year is so different from previous years."
She would know.
DeLeon is one of a five players on this UF team that lived through the Covid-ravaged, split 2020-21 season (Becky Burleigh's last, as it turned out), the controversial 2021 season under Tony Amato (his lone turn with the Gators) and the 2022 pick-up-the-pieces reboot with first-year Coach Samantha Bohon on the sideline. In those three seasons – again, with three different head coaches – Florida combined to go 12-34-8 overall and just 5-27-6 in Southeastern Conference play.
Last year, the Gators finished 2-14-1, including 0-9-1 in the league (both program all-time lows), with one of those regular-season defeats a 2-1 road loss at East Carolina they felt they let get away.
Not this time.
DeLeon was speaking for her fellow classmates of the past four seasons – goalkeeper Alex Goldberg, forwards Tori Grambo and Maddy Rhodes, midfielder Delaney Tauzel – when she praised how Bohan, the UF staff and the second-largest team in program history (36 players, including 18 newcomers) have galvanized and come together.
"Everybody on this team is bought in. The team chemistry is so good," DeLeon said. "Myself and the other seniors, just going through everything we've gone though, we've learned what works and what doesn't. The seniors have worked to make sure we set the standard every day. We might set the tone, but the whole team has [followed] it."
Perspective is important, of course. This was just one game, one win, against East Carolina, not North Carolina. But that's OK.
From her seat on the sidelines, Bohon watched and was encouraged by the Year 2 growth from her young, rebuilt squad, especially with the upgrade in the midfield (keep an eye on true freshman Megan Hinnenkamp), the aggression on the back end (Bohon was an All-America defender at Duke in her day) and the all-around attention to details (the Gators were on top of the game plan, as well as half-time adjustments that created scoring opportunities).
"We're really pleased," Bohon said. "To be realistic, we had 18 new players and 16 days to train, and for them to be able to come and put the product together [Thursday night] is a testament to their hard work on and off the field. We spent a lot of time on film. These ladies have been pros the last 2½ weeks and I'm happy to see them get a result, 'cause they've worked really hard."
It's hard to say how a similar game might have played out last season, but it's worth noting that in 2022 Florida lost nine one-goal games (including that meeting against Pirates). It's also worth noting that Bohon's debut team was shutout seven times and failed to score at least two goals in all but four of its 17 games. More progress.
Against ECU, the 18 current players who were part of that 2022 frustration did not let their minds wander back in time after going the first 45 minutes without scoring (and attempting just four shots), despite dominating time of possession. The first half, in fact, looked an awful lot like the two preseason matches when the Gators managed just one goal in a pair of ties against Georgia Southern and Florida Gulf Coast.
But four minutes into the second half, sophomore Lauren McCloskey sent a high cross from the left corner into a busy goalie box, where junior forward Madeline Pirrello lunged to punch the pass past ECU keeper Maeve English for a 1-0 lead and first goal of the season.
"We thought [in] the first half we had the ball most of the time," Pirrello said. "Every day in practice Coach says, 'Get in the box! Get in the box!' I saw Lauren dribbling down the sidelines and 10 times out of 10 she's going to get [a pass] in the box. I just ran toward the ball and put it in like Coach tries to teach us."
Bohon was within earshot to hear Pirrello's breakdown of the play.
"Yeah, you did!" she loudly seconded.
With eight minutes to go, Hinnenkamp used her speed to run through the defense for a breakaway opportunity that was thwarted when Pirates defender Jazmin Ferguson tackled Hinnenkamp in the box, drawing a penalty-kick opportunity. Midfielder Oakley Rasmussen converted for UF's second score.
From there, it was defense to close out the program's first season-opening victory since the 2019 season.
It was a nice capper to a day when Bohon called her team together during pre-game meal, pulled out her cell phone to reveal Abby Wambach, the most famous player in UF history and international soccer icon, on a Facetime call. Wambach had a on-Abby-brand message for the players about the Florida standard – 14 SEC championships, 12 SEC Tournament titles, 22 NCAA tournament appearances and the 1998 national championship -- that she and other Gator Greats helped build long ago. More specifically, about the need to return to that standard.
"As a former Gator who knows how to win, it's never about only yourself," Wambach told them. "It's only about each and every one of you coming together collectively."
Now these Gators have a new reference point to go with their new season. They'll take it with them into Sunday's home showdown against Maryland.
Another chance for DeLeon and friends to keep smiling.
"I feel like we all get along like sisters and it just feels so much more positive. That's the biggest thing for me," she said. "Great vibes."
"I mean this from the bottom of my heart," DeLeon said. "This year is so different from previous years."
She would know.
DeLeon is one of a five players on this UF team that lived through the Covid-ravaged, split 2020-21 season (Becky Burleigh's last, as it turned out), the controversial 2021 season under Tony Amato (his lone turn with the Gators) and the 2022 pick-up-the-pieces reboot with first-year Coach Samantha Bohon on the sideline. In those three seasons – again, with three different head coaches – Florida combined to go 12-34-8 overall and just 5-27-6 in Southeastern Conference play.
Last year, the Gators finished 2-14-1, including 0-9-1 in the league (both program all-time lows), with one of those regular-season defeats a 2-1 road loss at East Carolina they felt they let get away.
Not this time.
SEASON OPENER DUB!
— Gators Soccer (@GatorsSoccer) August 18, 2023
Gators are 23-3-3 in season opening games!
Presented by: @WellsFargo#GoGators | #GatorsWin pic.twitter.com/yDwLiYpejO
DeLeon was speaking for her fellow classmates of the past four seasons – goalkeeper Alex Goldberg, forwards Tori Grambo and Maddy Rhodes, midfielder Delaney Tauzel – when she praised how Bohan, the UF staff and the second-largest team in program history (36 players, including 18 newcomers) have galvanized and come together.
"Everybody on this team is bought in. The team chemistry is so good," DeLeon said. "Myself and the other seniors, just going through everything we've gone though, we've learned what works and what doesn't. The seniors have worked to make sure we set the standard every day. We might set the tone, but the whole team has [followed] it."
Perspective is important, of course. This was just one game, one win, against East Carolina, not North Carolina. But that's OK.
From her seat on the sidelines, Bohon watched and was encouraged by the Year 2 growth from her young, rebuilt squad, especially with the upgrade in the midfield (keep an eye on true freshman Megan Hinnenkamp), the aggression on the back end (Bohon was an All-America defender at Duke in her day) and the all-around attention to details (the Gators were on top of the game plan, as well as half-time adjustments that created scoring opportunities).
"We're really pleased," Bohon said. "To be realistic, we had 18 new players and 16 days to train, and for them to be able to come and put the product together [Thursday night] is a testament to their hard work on and off the field. We spent a lot of time on film. These ladies have been pros the last 2½ weeks and I'm happy to see them get a result, 'cause they've worked really hard."
It's hard to say how a similar game might have played out last season, but it's worth noting that in 2022 Florida lost nine one-goal games (including that meeting against Pirates). It's also worth noting that Bohon's debut team was shutout seven times and failed to score at least two goals in all but four of its 17 games. More progress.
Against ECU, the 18 current players who were part of that 2022 frustration did not let their minds wander back in time after going the first 45 minutes without scoring (and attempting just four shots), despite dominating time of possession. The first half, in fact, looked an awful lot like the two preseason matches when the Gators managed just one goal in a pair of ties against Georgia Southern and Florida Gulf Coast.
But four minutes into the second half, sophomore Lauren McCloskey sent a high cross from the left corner into a busy goalie box, where junior forward Madeline Pirrello lunged to punch the pass past ECU keeper Maeve English for a 1-0 lead and first goal of the season.
"We thought [in] the first half we had the ball most of the time," Pirrello said. "Every day in practice Coach says, 'Get in the box! Get in the box!' I saw Lauren dribbling down the sidelines and 10 times out of 10 she's going to get [a pass] in the box. I just ran toward the ball and put it in like Coach tries to teach us."
Bohon was within earshot to hear Pirrello's breakdown of the play.
"Yeah, you did!" she loudly seconded.
The cross + the finish 👀@laurenmcc10skey → @MaddyPirrello
— Gators Soccer (@GatorsSoccer) August 18, 2023
📺 https://t.co/3Lq6wgnhOL pic.twitter.com/aNJ1yfvnc9
With eight minutes to go, Hinnenkamp used her speed to run through the defense for a breakaway opportunity that was thwarted when Pirates defender Jazmin Ferguson tackled Hinnenkamp in the box, drawing a penalty-kick opportunity. Midfielder Oakley Rasmussen converted for UF's second score.
From there, it was defense to close out the program's first season-opening victory since the 2019 season.
It was a nice capper to a day when Bohon called her team together during pre-game meal, pulled out her cell phone to reveal Abby Wambach, the most famous player in UF history and international soccer icon, on a Facetime call. Wambach had a on-Abby-brand message for the players about the Florida standard – 14 SEC championships, 12 SEC Tournament titles, 22 NCAA tournament appearances and the 1998 national championship -- that she and other Gator Greats helped build long ago. More specifically, about the need to return to that standard.
"As a former Gator who knows how to win, it's never about only yourself," Wambach told them. "It's only about each and every one of you coming together collectively."
Now these Gators have a new reference point to go with their new season. They'll take it with them into Sunday's home showdown against Maryland.
Another chance for DeLeon and friends to keep smiling.
"I feel like we all get along like sisters and it just feels so much more positive. That's the biggest thing for me," she said. "Great vibes."
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