GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida soccer (2-1-3, 0-0 SEC) closes non-conference action this week with home and road action. The Gators play host to Kennesaw State Thursday and then finishes non-conference action Sunday at Florida Gulf Coast.
* This is the third Florida-Kennesaw State meeting. Last season, the two teams played to a 1-1 tie in Kennesaw on Sept. 3, 2023
* Florida and FGCU meet for the eighth time and for just the second time in Fort Myers. FGCU is the fourth 2024 Gator opponent that advanced to 2023 NCAA Tournament action. Florida has registered every possible result this season vs 2023 NCAA opponents – 2-0 win versus Western Carolina, 3-0 loss to Florida State and 1-1 tie at Towson.
2024 Florida Season Stats<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-soccer/stats>
Thursday, Sept. 12 versus Kennesaw State (0-5-1, 0-0 CUSA)
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Site: Donald R. Dizney Stadium<https://floridagators.com/sports/2020/4/4/donald-r-dizney-stadium.aspx>
Stream: SEC Network +<https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/c73df4fb-d48c-484d-b93f-da1988e8dfc1> with Kyle Crooks and Matthew Stubbington calling the action
Radio: ESPN Gainesville 850 AM<https://floridagators.com/watch/?Live=5467&type=Archive> with Nevada Cullen and Sky Lebron calling the action
Live Stats<https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=532023>
Admission: Free
Promotions: Faculty & Staff Appreciation Night – The first 100 Faculty & Staff members will receive free pizza prior to the match and faculty & staff members will be recognized at the match
Sunday, Sept. 15 at Florida Gulf Coast (1-3, 0-0 ASUN)
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Site: Pickering Field at the FGCU Soccer Complex (1,500)<https://fgcuathletics.com/facilities/pickering-field-at-the-fgcu-soccer-complex/2>
Stream: ESPN +<https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/76b77256-1719-4f24-abb4-04203ab1e9a3>
Live Stats<https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=532008&vislive=fla>
Admission: $10 adult; $8 military/youth (age 4-12)<https://fgcuathletics.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetEventInfo?ticketCode=GS:ATHLETICS:F24:WS0915:&linkID=fgcu-athletics&dataAccId=748&locale=en_US&siteId=ev_fgcu-athletics>
Florida in Non-Conference Closing Play:
Since 2003, Florida moved from non-conference to SEC opponents at some point in September. The exception is the 2020-21 season as due to the pandemic, teams played their league schedule in the fall and non-conference opponents in spring of 2021.
Florida is 11-7-2 in its non-conference closer in that span, including 6-6-2 in road/neutral meetings.
Date
Opponent (Rank)
Result
9/28/03
@Utah
L, 0-1
9/19/04
CINCINNATI
W, 4-0
9/18/05
@Central Florida
W, 2-0
9/17/06
Vs. North Carolina (5)
L, 1-0
9/23/07
@Nebraska
T, 1-1 2OT
9/21/08
KANSAS (25)
W, 2-1
9/20/09
EASTERN KENTUCKY
W, 5-1
9/19/10
vs North Carolina (1)
L, 2-0
9/18/11
@Kansas
W, 7-2
9/9/12
NEW MEXICO
W, 3-2
9/15/13
@ South Florida
T, 1-2OT
9/14/14
@New Mexico
W, 4-0
9/13/15
W, 4-0
9/4/16
@Oklahoma State
W, 7-2
9/3/17
@Portland
W, 1-0
9/10/18
@UCF
L, 3-0
9/15/19
MIAMI
W, 3-0
9/9/21
NORTH CAROLINA (2)
L, 7-1
9/11/22
@East Carolina
L, 2-1
9/10/23
Florida State (5)
L, 1-0
Florida Last Sunday:
Florida lost 3-0 to defending NCAA champions and No. 3 Florida State Sept. 8 in front of a Donald R. Dizney Stadium soccer record crowd of 1,294.
It was Florida’s first loss of the season. The two teams entered the match among 36 NCAA Division I programs without a loss in 2024.
The Seminoles took a 1-0 halftime lead off a Taylor Huff goal in the 15th minute. Goals by Wrianna Hudson (57:09) and Kameron Simmonds (80:29) pushed the score out to the final margin.
It was FSU’s seventh consecutive win as Sept. 8 was the 30th in the all-time series (FSU leads 17-13).
About Kennesaw State:
Kennesaw State turned in a 4-8-7 record and its 3-5-3 record placed T6th in its final season in the Atlantic Sun Conference. This year, Kennesaw State moved to Conference USA.
Senior Macie Rainwater leads the Owls in 2024 with two goals and four points. Two have shared starting duties in goal this season. Redshirt sophomore Charlee Bernal has four starts and a goals-against-average of 2.34. Freshman Aryana Rosenblum has started the last three (including the weather-canceled Sept. 1 match vs East Tennessee State) and owns a GAA of 2.74.
Chris Cahill was elevated to the Owls head coach on Feb. 28, 2024 after spending the previous season as KSU’s associate head coach.
About FGCU:
Florida Gulf Coast turned in a 12-5-5 record and its 7-1-3 record placed T2nd in the Atlantic Sun Conference. The Eagles won the ASUN Tournament to advance to the NCAA Tournament (1-0 loss at then No. 2 Texas Tech).
Graduate Ashley Labbe leads the Eagles in 2024 with three goals and seven points. Sophomore Olivia Molina has started each of FGCU’s four match and owns a goals-against-average of 2.58. The Eagles are in the midst of a five-match homestand and plays App State on Sept. 12 before playing host to the Gators.
Jim Blankenship has led FGCU since its first season in 2007. This is his 18th season and Blankenship has claimed the ASUN Coach of the Year honor five-times (most recent: 2019).
