GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida soccer opens 2025 home action with three straight matches at the Donald R. Dizney Stadium beginning Thursday with Towson and North Florida on Sunday.
Thursday, Aug. 21 versus Towson
Time/Site: 7 p.m. at Donald R. Dizney Stadium<https://floridagators.com/sports/2020/4/4/donald-r-dizney-stadium.aspx>
Streaming Video: ESPN + <https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/fb04c87e-d83d-420f-af00-0c10a687e5ba> Announcers: Ryan Urquhart and Matthew Stubbington
Audio Stream<https://floridagators.com/watch/?Live=5739&type=Live>: Sky Lebron and Marty Pallman calling the action
Live Stats<https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=595580>
Admission: Free
Promotions: The first 150 fans get a Vuvuzela so the Gators can hear your support! The first 200 UF students get a free t-shirt. Enter to win a pair of Florida football tickets for the August 30 home opener vs. LIU.
Sunday, Aug. 24 vs North Florida
Time/Site: 7 p.m. at Donald R. Dizney Stadium<https://floridagators.com/sports/2020/4/4/donald-r-dizney-stadium.aspx>
Streaming Video: SEC Network +<https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/82fa19a5-6d69-4b39-8287-766c396855ac> Announcers: Ryan Urquhart and Matthew Stubbington
Radio: ESPN 98.1 FM / 850 AM WRUF <https://www.wruf.com/listen-live/> Sky Lebron and Marty Pallman calling the action.
Live Stats<https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=595580>
Promotions: Grab a 2025 Gators schedule poster and a balloon animal pre-match. Bring the whole family early to enjoy the first Sunday Funday of the season.
Admission is free for all Gator soccer regular-season home matches.
The Gators are 24-3-3 all-time in home openers, including wins in the last three season starts at The Diz.
2025 Gator Soccer Home Promotions Schedule<https://floridagators.com/news/2025/8/18/florida-soccer-2025-home-promotions-schedule.aspx>
Two Gator Freshmen Earns ECNL National Honors:
A pair of Gators earned national honors for their final season of Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) play.
Kai Tsakiris is the U18/19 National Player of the Year<https://x.com/ECNLgirls/status/1956116171758965098/photo/4>. She helped lead the Slammers FC HB KØGE to the U18/19 national team title on July 1 in San Diego, earning mention on both Soccer Wire’s<https://www.soccerwire.com/resources/players-that-impressed-ecnl-girls-playoffs-2025/> and TopDrawerSoccer.com’s<https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/article/?categoryId=26&articleId=54798&articleTitle=ecnl-girls-playoffs:-u17-u19-stars> Players the Impressed lists for the tournament.
She was joined on the ECNL U18/19 All-America team by fellow Gator freshman Katie Johnston, who played with OK Energy FC. This is Johnston’s third ECNL All-American honor – 2025<https://theecnl.com/news/2025/8/14/ecnl-girls-ecnl-announces-2024-25-ecnl-girls-all-american-teams-national-players-of-the-year.aspx>, 2023<https://x.com/ECNLgirls/status/1694063896485642709/photo/2> and 2022<https://x.com/ECNLgirls/status/1562877489273503744/photo/1>. Of the 51 players to be named All-American over the last four ECNL seasons, Johnston is one of four with three or more All-America honors.
Florida’s Season Opener:
The Gators opened 2025 season with a 5-0 loss on Aug. 14 at preseason No. 3 Florida State. The match was held up twice for a total of 2 hours and 15 minutes due to lightning in the area.
About Upcoming Opponents:
Towson (1-0, 0-0 CAA)
The Tigers opened with 5-0 home win in Sunday’s weather delayed match versus Mount St. Mary’s. Payton Todd scored twice, with the remaining goals coming from Sophie Thibeault, Riley Matthews and Emely Rubio.
Towson returns six starters from its 2024 team that posted a 6-4-9 overall record and finished 4-2-4, which tied for fifth in the Colonial Athletic Association. The Tigers top returning goal scorer is junior Sophie Thibeault (7 goals, 2 assists). Towson was picked No. 4 in the 2025 CAA North Division preseason coached poll.
North Florida (1-1, 0-0 ASUN)
The Eagles split in their season start road openers, winning 2-0 at Howard on Aug. 14 and dropping a 1-0 decision at Campbell on Aug. 17. Sarah Frazer and Isabella Pontieri scored UNF’s goals at Howard.
North Florida was 9-4-7 in 2024 and tied for fourth in the Atlantic Sun regular-season standings with a 6-1-4 record. Redshirt junior Paige McSwigan and graduate Sofia Miliancano both appear on the 2025 preseason A-SUN team, with Miliancano getting tabbed as the preseason ASUN Goalkeeper of the Year.
