GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Southeastern Conference soccer action begins across the league this week. Florida’s (4-3, 0-0 SEC) opening match versus No. 9 Arkansas airs live on the SEC Network.
Thursday, Sept. 11 vs No. 9 Arkansas
Time/Site: 6 p.m. at Donald R. Dizney Stadium<https://floridagators.com/sports/2020/4/4/donald-r-dizney-stadium.aspx>
TV: SEC Network<https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/41ff56da-c1f8-4eb5-b23b-78b49527a1bf> with Mike Watts and Jill Loyden calling the action
Audio Stream<https://floridagators.com/watch/?Live=5745&type=Live>: Ryan Urquhart and Matthew Stubbington calling the action
Live Stats<https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=595585>
Admission: Free
Promotions: Blue Out – Wear blue and bring the energy as the Gators host the Razorbacks for their home Southeastern Conference opener. The first 250 fans will receive a blue bang-a-banner to help crank up the noise. 2025 Florida Soccer Home Promotions Schedule<https://floridagators.com/news/2025/8/18/florida-soccer-2025-home-promotions-schedule.aspx>
Challenging SEC Start:
Florida is the only team to open SEC action with four consecutive matches versus teams among the Sept. 9 United Soccer Coaches top-25<https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-di-women/> – No. 9 Arkansas, at No. 20 Oklahoma, No. 17 South Carolina and at No. 24 Georgia.
Florida and Texas A&M each have five current top-25 league opponents on 2025 SEC schedule.
# of Top 25 SEC Opponents
Teams
5
Florida, Texas A&M
4
Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Kentucky, Mississippi, MSU, Oklahoma, Texas, Vanderbilt
3
LSU, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee
2
Georgia
Did You Know?
Eight Gators scored 13 goals during the course of the 2024 season.
Already through seven matches of 2025, 10 Gators scored 15 goals. That is the most goals through seven matches since UF scored 21 in 2016. The variety of goal scorers equals the most since 10 also provided the scoring through the first seven matches of the 2011 season.
Of the 344 NCAA Division I programs, Florida is among the 20 teams in 2025 with 10 or more different goal scorers.
Of the 10 2025 Gator goal scorers, eight hit their first collegiate goals.
Freshmen: Addy Hess (2), Katie Johnston (2), Sophia Sindelar (2), Kai Tsakiris
Sophomore: Skye Barnes
Junior: Tatum O’Coyne
Senior: Njeri Butts (2)
Graduate: Charlotte McClure (2)
Lena Bailey is the only one of Florida’s seven 2025 scorers who came into the season with goals in 2023 (4) and 2024 (2).
Madison Jones scored twice while a Kentucky freshman in 2022 and scored her first as a Gator against Georgia State.
Last Week:
Florida split last week at home to close non-conference play. The Gators took a 2-1 win over Florida Gulf Coast to open September action and dropped a 2-1 decision Sunday to Georgia State.
The Gators scored a goal in each half versus FGCU<https://floridagators.com/news/2025/9/4/soccer-gators-win-2-1-over-fgcu.aspx>. Freshman Sophia Sindelar one-touched in the centering ball from Megan Hinnenkamp in the 33rd minute. Graduate Charlotte McClure’s 24-yard curling shot in the 61st minute was the game winner. The Eagles also score in the 61st minute with a goal from Kate Friday.
After a scoreless opening half, redshirt junior Madison Jones stepped up to hit a 22-yard shot off a Georgia State clearance attempt to score her first goal as a Gator in the 52nd minute.<https://floridagators.com/news/2025/9/7/soccer-gators-nipped-2-1-by-georgia-state-panthers.aspx> The Panthers Lily Sawyer (61st minute) and Reese Gordon (64th minute) scored the next two goals to close the event’s scoring. The Gators had opportunities but couldn’t get that elusive goal as UF outshot the Panthers 18-6, earned 14 corner kicks, hit the crossbar twice and had two goals called back.
About the Razorbacks:
No. 9 Arkansas (2-2-2, 0-0 SEC)
Arkansas was 16-2-3 in 2024 and second in the Southeastern Conference with a 8-1-1 record. The Razorbacks 2024 NCAA run ended in the third round after Stanford advanced 4-2 on penalty kicks. Arkansas is the pick to win the 2025 title by the league coaches. <https://www.secsports.com/news/2025/08/coaches-tab-arkansas-as-2025-sec-womens-soccer-favorite>
Arkansas has met four top 20 teams this season with a 1-0 win at No. 11 BYU, a 2-2 tie versus No. 2 Notre Dame and losses versus No. 13 Iowa (3-2) and No. 3 Duke (2-0). Arkansas also won 2-0 over Georgia Southern and tied Creighton 3-3.
Senior Zoe Susi and sophomore Kyndal Ewertz each have two goals to lead the Razorbacks this season. Sophomore Keegan Smith has started all but Arkansas’ Sept. 5 match at Creighton and owns a goals-against-average of 1.40.
