GAINESVILLE,
Fla. – Three goals – all by Gator freshmen – gave the No. 8 Florida soccer team
a 3-0 win over Alabama Friday evening in front of 1,719 fans at the James G.
Pressly Stadium. It was the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams.
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It was
Gator Soccer Alumni Night and many members of the program’s past 18 seasons
were on hand to cheer Florida to a win in its Southeastern Conference opener.
Since the program’s first season in 1995, the Gators have won 12 SEC titles,
advanced to 16 NCAA Tournaments and won the 1998 NCAA Championship.
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A set play gave the Gators their first goal
in the 26th minute. Junior Havana
Solaun sent the corner kick to the middle of the box where it was
headed down by sophomore Lindsey
Cooper. The ball hit the ground just in front of the goal line and
freshman Savannah
Jordan used her right foot to put it across the line. Jordan scored her
second goal of the evening with less than three minutes left before halftime.
Sophomore Brooke
Smith sent a centering pass to freshman Meggie
Dougherty Howard just above the box. Jordan received the ball from
Dougherty Howard, turned and used her right foot to take the shot which banged
off the far post and into the goal.
Jordan now has 10 goals, making her one of
three in NCAA Division I play to turn in a double-digit season goals total.
Florida’s final goal started near the end
line when senior Maggie
Rodgers shielded off her defender, allowing her to send a vertical pass
to junior Tessa
Andujar outside the top edge of the box. Her cross into box was headed
in at the near post by freshman Liz
Slattery for her first goal as a Gator.
