GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida soccer faces a pair of first-time opponents on the road next week.
* Florida starts road action versus Georgia State on Thursday at 7 p.m.
* Then the Gators open September action at 2023 Colonial Athletic Association Tournament champion Towson Sunday at noon
Thursday, Aug. 29 at Georgia State
Date: Thursday, Aug. 29 in Atlanta, Ga.
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Site: GSU Soccer Complex<https://georgiastatesports.com/news/2021/8/9/mens-soccer-new-soccer-complex-opens-for-games-this-week.aspx>
Video: ESPN +<https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/7e776246-874a-479e-b005-96f82fe778b9>
Live Stats<https://statb.us/b/532171>
Admission: Free
Sunday, Sept. 1 at Towson
at Towson
Date: Sunday, Sept. 1 in Towson, Md.
Time: Noon ET
Site: Tiger Field<https://towsontigers.com/sports/2020/6/22/tiger-stadium-lower-fields-complex.aspx>
Video: FloSports<https://go.flosports.tv/partner/caa?utm_campaign=caa&utm_medium=partner&utm_source=teams&utm_content=teams&rtid=towson&coverage_id=>
Live Stats<https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=534043>
Admission: Free
Florida in Week 2:
It was a tie in Florida’s last two matches. The Gators opened 2024 road action with a scoreless tie on a soggy Thursday evening at North Florida. Florida outshot the Ospreys 10-3, which didn’t include a late Lena Bailey goal waved off for offsides.
In the final home match of August, Florida had to come back twice to tie UCF 2-2. The Gators responded to goals in each half by UCF’s Chloe Netzel. Florida took a 1-all tie into halftime after freshman Vera Blom scored her first collegiate goal in the 43rd minute off the Delaney Tellex assist. Ten minutes after UCF regained the lead, redshirt junior Sophie White ran down a back pass to the UCF goalkeeper, catching up just wide of the 18. She scored the match’s final goal on a left-footed shot inside the box.
* There were a couple of Gator firsts on Florida’s opening goal. Vera Blom<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/vera-blom/16987> scored her first Gator goal off the first Gator assist by Delaney Tellex<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/delaney-tellex/16973>.
* Sunday’s goal was Sophie White’s<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/sophie-white/16965> second of her Gator career and first since scoring the middle goal in a 3-0 win at Stetson in 2022. White tore her anterior cruciate ligament just two matches later, sidelining her for the remainder of the 2022 season.
About Upcoming Opponents:
Georgia State (0-1-1, 0-0 Sun Belt)
Georgia State was 9-5-6 overall and fifth in the Sun Belt Conference with a 4-3-3 record. Georgia State tied for fourth in the 2024 Sun Belt preseason coaches poll. Sophomore Aaliyah Faddoul was voted the 2024 preseason Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year. .
Georgia State opened the season with a home 2-2 tie versus Chattanooga. Thursday’s match will be Georgia State’s second consecutive versus a Southeastern Conference team, as the Panthers lost 2-0 at Mississippi on Aug. 22. Ed Joyce is in his seventh season leading the Panthers.
Towson (1-2-1, 0-0 Colonial)
Towson was 15-3-2 in 2023 and was won both the Colonial Athletic Association regular-season (9-1-2) and tournament titles. The Tigers made its NCAA Tournament debut in 2023, falling 3-1 at North Carolina in the opening round. Towson is picked No. 3 in the CAA preseason poll and placed defender Maja Hansson of the preseason All-CAA team.
Towson opened the season with a 2-0 loss at RV Virginia. The Tigers continued road action with a 1-0 win at Maryland-Baltimore County. Towson opened a two-match homestand with a 1-1 tie versus St. John’s and lost 3-0 to George Washington on Aug. 25. The Tigers play at Delaware State on Aug. 29 before returning home to play host to the Gators.
2023 CAA Coach of the Year Katherine Vettori is in her seventh season at Towson.
