The No. 5 Florida State soccer team (6-1, 0-0 ACC) saw the Gators tie the match twice Friday, but in the end, the Seminoles took the 3-2 win over No. 9 Florida (4-2, 0-0 SEC).
It was exactly what was expected for a match featuring two top-10 teams. A big crowd was on hand to witness a tense contest between the intrastate rivals.
The crowd, the intensity and the play of both teams gave Friday’s match a play-off feel, UF Head Coach Becky Burleigh said.
“I thought that was an unbelievably great game. It was a great game from both sides, awesome crowd, the whole thing. The whole environment - it felt like a playoff game,” Burleigh said. “It was a really fun game to be a part of besides the result.”
Meetings between these two teams now make up three of the top four crowds all-time in the 17-year history of Gator soccer. Tonight’s crowd of 4,671 at the James G. Pressly Stadium is only behind the 1998 crowd of 5,222 for the Florida-North Carolina meeting and the 4,745 crowd which watched the 1999 season opener between these same two programs.
Florida fell behind early when freshman Dagny Brynjarsdottir hit an 18-yard shot at 3:34. It was the earliest goal the Gators have given up this season. The last time UF allowed a goal in the first 10 minutes was the 2008 opener at Colorado.
Burleigh though the Gators didn’t adjust quickly enough to the pace the Seminoles opened the match with.
“I think we did not adjust quickly enough to the tempo of the game. It was a very high, fast-paced game, and it took us a little while to get into our rhythm from that. Once we did, it became a much more even game,” Burleigh said. “It was back and forth after that. I think the lesson we learned from that was to come out ready to play at that speed and that tempo, and not take a half to get into it.”
The final minute of the opening half yielded the first Gator goal. Erika Tymrak, the reigning Southeastern Conference Offensive Player of the Week, knotted the score with just 22 second left in the first half. She received the ball off a short corner and brought the ball into the box. Tymrak tried to send the ball forward with the ball momentarily bouncing off a pair of FSU defenders. She continued with another touch before scoring on the 10-yard shot.
“It was off a corner kick. It was a short corner to me and I dribbled into the box. I tried to pass and it was a bad pass and the ball bounced back to me. Holly (King) was in the way of the keeper so I sort of just scooted it in,” Tymrak said.
The Seminoles knotted the score when Tiffany McCarty scored her first goal of the match from six yards off the assists from Tori Huster and Jessica Price in the 55th minute.
The first goal of the season for Holly King tied the match at 2-all in the 68th minute. Annie Speese sent the corner kick into the box. Lindsay Thompson was at the near post corner and allowed the ball to roll through. FSU’s Kelsey Wys got her hand on the ball but it bounced just in front of the goal line. King crashed the goal line, hitting the ball with her left hip before getting it across with her right foot.
“Annie Speese hit it left-footed (off the corner). Lindsay Thompson was sitting on the X inside the six. She pretty much dummied it and let it through her legs,” King said. “I thought it was too late, but the keeper bobbled it and I just volleyed it in.”
The game-winning goal again came from McCarty. The Seminoles sent a ball forward to the Gator half. McCarty received the ball and moved toward the box before touching it left to Brynjarsdottir. She sent it back to McCarty, who was entering the box. McCarty scored her second goal of the match and her team leading sixth goal of the season from six yards in the 72nd minute.
King knows the Gators can take plenty of lessons from tonight’s match.
“I think it’s going to be a good learning experience, bottom line. We gave it our all, but it’s not good enough, so next week when we go through practice, we’ll fix the things we need to work on,” King said. “Obviously, it’s still a learning experience.”
Florida finishes its home stand Sunday by meeting its fourth in-state rival of this young season - Florida Gulf Coast (5-2, 0-0 Atlantic Sun). The Eagles were a 3-2 winner at Florida International Friday evening. Match time Sunday is set for 2 p.m. at Pressly Stadium. Admission is free for all 2011 Gator soccer regular-season matches.
