TAMPA, Fla. – Florida soccer closed preseason 2025 exhibition action Saturday evening with a 4-1 win over USF at the Corbett Stadium. The exhibition was delayed 15 minutes due to inclement weather, with a light rain returning midway through the opening half.
After the opening half ending with the Gators hitting the crossbar, Florida got scoring going quickly in the second half. With 41:52 left in the opening half, freshman Kai Tsakiris successfully converted a penalty kick. She added assists on Florida’s next two goals after serving up the corner kicks.
Madison Jones’ opportunity came from the top of the box when the ball popped out to her off a corner kick scrum with 25 minutes left. That goal added another memorable moment to Jones’ weekend, as she received her bachelor’s degree yesterday in UF’s Summer Commencement ceremonies.
Less than two minutes later, it another score off a corner kick when Brinley Murphy headed in the ball at the far post.
Bulls junior Yui Suetsugu<https://gousfbulls.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/yui-suetsugu/15753> scored with 18 minutes remaining to cut the Gators lead to two goals.
Another Gator grad, Charlotte McClure, pushed Florida’s lead back out to three goals with her score from inside the box with 10:35 remaining.
What the Gators Said:
Coach Samantha Bohon post-match:
“We have a ton of respect for USF and what Chris is doing here, so we knew that this was going to be a really good test for us. We said it was kind of going to be an SEC level game. We came in really intense, trying to execute the things we’ve been working on. I give our players a lot of credit, because we’ve changed a couple things. We’ve played a ton of new players and they stepped up to the moment against a good team.
“We’re really happy with preseason. We took a bold step with going pretty intense right from the very beginning, but the players responded. They came in fit, so they were ready to go. The cohesiveness of our team is just something that’s always been a big part of our culture, and I think it’s actually starting to influence how we play. We’re playing possession, we’re building, we’re a little bit more footballer-like this year, and we’re really happy with where we are. But as we know, these games don’t count. So it’s all gonna start on Thursday against the big rival of Florida State.”
On scoring first goal as a Gator:
“It felt amazing. Obviously, coming into preseason, it wasn’t easy, and I was really grateful for the opportunity. And it was really, really exciting for my first goal, but we all kind of did it together, so that was more amazing.” Freshman Kai Tsakiris
Madison Jones on her goal:
“Well, I looked up and I was, ‘Okay, so I’m gonna hit the ball. Now’s my time.’ And then I just tried to keep it low, and it worked. So that was great” – redshirt junior Madison Jones
Next Up:
The 2025 season opens Thursday when Florida travels to Tallahassee to face preseason No. 3 Florida State. This is the fourth time in both program’s 31-season history that they meet to open a campaign.
Date: Aug. 14
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Site: Seminole Soccer Complex<https://seminoles.com/facilities/seminole-soccer-complex/6>
TV: ACC Network<https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/8453c697-ffa3-4378-a1f5-8e64eaf58e5e>
Tickets<https://seminoles.com/tickets>
2025 Florida Soccer Schedule<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-soccer/schedule>
