Florida Soccer Plays Host to Auburn Thursday; at Vanderbilt Sunday
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – It’s the final double match week of the regular-season for Florida soccer.
First is a Florida soccer tradition – Gators Kick for the Cure cancer awareness match versus Auburn on Thursday, Oct. 19. Then the Gators close regular-season road action Sunday in Nashville, Tenn., to face Vanderbilt.
Auburn (6-5-4, 2-3-2 SEC)
Date: Thursday, Oct. 19
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Site: Donald R. Dizney Stadium<https://admin.floridagators.com/sportfile.aspx?filename=donald-r-dizney-stadium&file_date=4/4/2020>
Stream: SEC Network +<https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/eb562b47-e37c-4a96-a238-02203a1cddc5> with Kyle Crooks and Matthew Stubbington calling the action
Radio: ESPN Gainesville 98.1 FM / 850 AM<https://www.wruf.com/listen-live/> with Nevada Cullen and Sky Lebron calling the action
Stats: StatBroadcast<http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=469997>
Admission: Free
Promotions: It’s Florida’s annual Kick for the Cure presented by UF Health match. First 150 fans get pink rally towels; cancer survivors and those currently in battle form tunnel to welcome Gators to field
Vanderbilt (8-4-3, 3-4 SEC)
Date: Sunday, Oct. 22
Time: 2 p.m. ET
Site: Vanderbilt Soccer Complex<https://vucommodores.com/facilities/vanderbilt-soccer-lacrosse-complex/>
Stream: SEC Network +<https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/8520a6fc-8d41-4a38-ab1f-5285e097fc58>
Stats: StatBroadcast<http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=472132&vislive=fla>
Admission: Free
Bailey & Hinnenkamp Among TopDrawerSoccer’s Top 100 Freshman
This season, there are 2,314 freshman on NCAA Division 1 rosters.
Two appearing among TopDrawerSoccer’s Oct. 9 release<https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/college-soccer-articles/womens-midseason-top-100-freshmen_aid52605> of the nation’s top 100 freshmen are Gators – Megan Hinnenkamp (No. 20) and Lena Bailey (No. 76). The duo leads Florida in goals this season. Hinnenkamp’s six goals shares the lead among SEC freshman. Bailey has scored three goals this season.
Ten different Southeastern Conference teams have at least one on the list and Florida is one of six with multiple players among the top 100 freshmen.
At No. 20, Hinnenkamp is the second SEC player on the list with Georgia’s Kiera Staude leading league freshmen at No. 10.
Florida’s Last Match:
Florida lost 3-0 at SEC leader and then No. 10 Arkansas in the only league match in action on Thursday, Oct. 12. After a scoreless opening half, the Razorbacks scored early in the second half. Sophia Aragon’s right footed strike out of a Florida scrum scored from short distance in the 47th minute. Sabrina Jones’ header off a corner kick led to the Razorbacks second goal in the 67th minute. The Razorbacks pushed the lead out to 3-0 in the 74th minute when Tankersley scored from six yards off the square pass from Avery Wren in the . For the match, Arkansas outshot the Gators 15-6.
About Upcoming Opponents:
Auburn
In 2022, Auburn was 6-6-6 overall and 12th in the Southeastern Conference with a 2-6-2 record. The Tigers return 2022 team points (12) and assist (6) leader Anna Haddock and fellow senior Maddie Simpson who led the Tigers with four goals.
The Tigers split in their two home matches versus ranked SEC opponents, losing 2-1 to then No. 15 South Carolina and handing then No. 6 Arkansas its only SEC loss with a 2-1 win on Oct. 8. Haddock again leads AU in points (13) and shares the goals lead (4) with fifth-year Sydney Richards. Senior goalkeeper Maddie Prohaska has started every match and owns a goals-against-average of 1.09.
Last UF-AU Meeting:
Florida dropped a 2-0 match at No. 23 Auburn when the teams last met on Oct. 17, 2021. After a scoreless opening half, the Tigers took the lead in the 52nd minute off a score by Marissa Arias. Sydney Richards put in the deflection off Anna Haddock’s shot in the 72nd minute for the match’s final goal.
Vanderbilt
In 2022, Vanderbilt was 11-3-3 overall and tied for fifth in the Southeastern Conference with a 5-3-2 record. The Commodores lost 2-1 to Northwestern in NCAA Second Round action. Vanderbilt returns junior Rachel Deresky, who was second among the team in 2022 with 13 points and third in goals (5).
Vanderbilt is unbeaten in Nashville this season, which includes a 3-3 tie versus then No. 20 Northwestern on Sept. 3. Deresky leads VU in all offense categories – goals (6), assists (4) and points (16). Freshman Ella Eggleston is second with five goals, including the game-winner in the 88th minute for a 1-0 decision versus Missouri last Friday. Senior Kate Devine has started every match and is fifth in the league with a goals-against-average of 0.82.
Last UF-VU Meeting:
The 5-2 Vanderbilt win at Dizney Stadium on Oct. 22 was the largest combined goal output in a single match for either team in 2022. Five of the seven goals came off set plays. The Commodores took a 3-1 lead into halftime off goals by Peyton Cutshall (19:57), Amber Nguyen (22:32) and Raegan Kelley (29:09). Kelley earned the brace with her second-half goal at 60:24 and Abi Brighton closed the match scoring in the 73rd minute.
