Kyra Taylor (lower left) celebrates her second goal of the day with Zoe Main (middle) and Sophia Sindelar in Florida's 3-1 win over No. T3 Florida State.
Gators Knock Off Defending Champion No. 3 Florida State
Sunday, August 23, 2026 | Soccer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida soccer earned its first top-10 win since 2017 on Sunday, defeating No. T3 and defending NCAA champion Florida State 3-1 at Donald R. Dizney Stadium.
The victory is Florida's first against a top-10 opponent since a 3-2 win against No. 1 Stanford on Aug. 25, 2017. It also marks the Gators' first victory against the defending NCAA champion since defeating Florida State 3-2 on Aug. 30, 2015.
The win is the first against a ranked opponent for Florida head coach Nick Zimmerman and came in his third match leading the Gators.
Florida State entered Sunday on a 13-match unbeaten streak dating to the 2025 season. The Seminoles closed 2025 unbeaten over their final 10 matches.
Sunday's Scoring:
For the second consecutive match, Kyra Taylor provided Florida's first two goals.
GOAL FLORIDA 😮💨😮💨
— Gators Soccer (@GatorsSoccer) August 23, 2026
🎥 SEC Network pic.twitter.com/3bII2fSmy9
Taylor put the Gators ahead in the 22nd minute. On Florida's first corner kick of the match, Mia Gray sent the ball into the box and Taylor headed it down and into the net off the bounce. The goal came at 21:58, just two seconds later than the time of her opening goal Thursday against Coastal Carolina.
It was the first goal conceded by Florida State this season and the Seminoles' first since their 4-1 home win against Ohio State in the 2025 NCAA quarterfinals.
What. A. Save.
— Gators Soccer (@GatorsSoccer) August 23, 2026
🎥 SEC Network pic.twitter.com/xAiZCG3jKn
Florida State nearly answered two minutes later. Shaneil Buckley broke free on a 70-yard run and carried the ball into the box for a one-on-one opportunity. Florida goalkeeper Jayden Emmanuel came off her line, cut down Buckley's angle and made the save. Emmanuel made her first start of the season Sunday.
KYRA TAYLOR FOR PRESIDENT 😤
— Gators Soccer (@GatorsSoccer) August 23, 2026
🎥 SEC Network pic.twitter.com/jrz4tg8JLl
Taylor struck again in the 62nd minute. Zoe Main carried the ball down the right side and, just before reaching the top of the box, found Taylor, who extended her left foot to direct the ball inside the near post for a 2-0 Florida lead.
FIRST GATOR GOAL FOR MONTELENE ‼️
— Gators Soccer (@GatorsSoccer) August 23, 2026
🎥 SEC Network pic.twitter.com/7FNxPCyiYz
The Gators added their third goal in the 79th minute. Tatum Borman won the ball just inside Florida's half and played it into space for Montelene Dymond. The senior carried the ball through the Seminoles' half, beat the goalkeeper and slotted home her first goal as a Gator.
Florida State got on the board in the 83rd minute. Ryder Ajeto's first touch in the box was deflected by a Florida defender, but Ajeto followed the ball and scored from eight yards to produce the final 3-1 margin.
Did You Know?
· Kyra Taylor scored twice for the second consecutive match, recording the sixth brace of her collegiate career. It is the first time she has posted consecutive two-goal matches since her freshman season at Louisiana Tech, when she scored twice against Nicholls on Sept. 7, 2023, and twice at Mississippi on Sept. 10, 2023.
· Nick Zimmerman now owns four wins against top-10 opponents in his second season as a collegiate head coach. As Mississippi State's head coach in 2025, Zimmerman guided the Bulldogs to wins against No. 1 Tennessee (3-2), No. 4 Arkansas (2-1) and No. 10 Wake Forest (2-1). His fourth came Sunday in just his third match leading Florida.
· Sunday's crowd of 1,632 set an all-time Dizney Stadium attendance record for Florida soccer.
Coach Zimmerman Said:
"The fight of this group. We couldn't be more proud. We asked them to compete and they did that. The players, the staff – just incredible. It was an absolute team win. Whether you played 90 minutes or no minutes, the focus was on the team. This was a huge win for our program, for our organization. We are going to celebrate it, we are going to enjoy it and then get back to work. We move on to the next game.
"Gotta give a huge, huge shoutout to the fans. Someone said it was record attendance. Hopefully they enjoyed it and hopefully we continue to pack this place. This is a special place and we are beyond grateful." – Florida head coach Nick Zimmerman
Series Record:
Florida State leads 18-14
Next Up:
Florida closes August action with a pair of in-state opponents. The Gators finish their three-match homestand Thursday when Jacksonville comes to Dizney Stadium. The Dolphins (1-0-1, 0-0 ASUN) played Georgia Southern to a scoreless tie in their last match.
Then Florida travels to Boca Raton, Fla., to face Florida Atlantic (0-2-1, 0-0 American) on Sunday. The Owls play host to Howard on Thursday at 5 p.m.
vs Jacksonville
Date: Thursday, Aug. 27
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Site: Donald R. Dizney Stadium
Stream: SEC Network + with Ryan Urquhart and Matthew Stubbington calling the action
Radio: ESPN Gainesville 98.1 FM / 850 AM with Nevada Cullen and Lance Williams calling the action
StatBroadcast
Admission: Free for all Gator soccer regular-season matches
Promotions: Staff Appreciation Night - Gators Soccer celebrates UF faculty and staff at The Diz! Join us as we recognize the people who make the University of Florida special, then cheer on the Gators as they take on Jacksonville!
at Florida Atlantic
Date: Sunday, Aug. 30
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Site: FAU Soccer Stadium (1,000)
Stream: ESPN +
StatBroadcast
Admission: Free
No. T3 Florida State (3-1, 0-0 ACC) at Florida (2-1, 0-0 SEC)
Stadium: Donald R. Dizney Stadium (1,632)
Weather: 90 degrees, some clouds
| Goals by Period | 1 | 2 | Total |
| Florida State | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Florida | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Scoring Summary:
| No. | Time | Team | Goal Scorer | Assist |
| 1. | 21:58 | UF | Kyra Taylor | Mia Gray |
| 2. | 61:49 | UF | Kyra Taylor | Zoe Main |
| 3. | 78:46 | UF | Montelene Dymond | Tatum Borman |
| 4. | 82:27 | FSU | Ryder Ajeto |
Shots: FSU 8, Florida 14
Saves: FSU 5 (Kate Ockene 5), Florida 4 (Jayden Emmanuel 4)
Cautions:
10:49 Mia Gray-UF – yellow; 36:06 Nyah Rose-FSU – yellow; 51:46 Skye Barnes – UF – yellow
Players Mentioned
Sunday, August 23
Sunday, August 23
Friday, August 21
Friday, August 21
