Gator Soccer Closes Non-Conference Play Sunday at East Carolina

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Gator soccer (2-4) makes its first trip to Greenville, N.C., to close 2022 non-conference play at East Carolina (4-2-1) on Sunday.

Sunday, Sept. 11 at East Carolina (4-2-1, 0-0 AAC)
Time/Site: Noon ET at Johnson Stadium <https://ecupirates.com/facilities/johnson-stadium/10>
Stream: ESPN +<https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/eventCalendarId/401462108?gameId=648871&sourceLang=en&om-navmethod=espn%3Aglobalsearch%3Aresults>
Radio: ESPN 98.1 FM / 850 AM<https://www.wruf.com/listen-live/> with action called by Nevada Cullen
               Live Stats<http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=411450&vislive=fla>
               Tickets: Free

Last Week:
Florida split in a pair of home matches versus in-state rivals. The Gators opened home action with a 2-1 win<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-soccer/stats/2022/usf/boxscore/25233> over South Florida. All the scoring for the match came in the final 30 minutes, beginning with a 22-yard goal by junior Julianne Leskauskas. The Bulls tied the match in the 73rd minute when Chiara Hahn scored off a volley that kicked in off the crossbar. Senior Syd Kennedy scored the game-winner in the 82nd minute with a left-footed strike just inside the box.

Defending NCAA champion and then No. 10 Florida State won 5-0<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-soccer/stats/2022/florida-state/boxscore/25234> when the two long-time rivals met Sunday in front of a Donald R. Dizney Stadium record crowd (1,255) for soccer. Four different Seminoles scored in the match.

Sunday at East Carolina:
This will be the third UF-ECU meeting and first in Greenville, N.C. None of Florida’s eight-member freshman class were born when the Gators and the Pirates last met on Sept. 12, 2003.

Both Florida and East Carolina are led by coaches in their first season at the institutions after coaching at NCAA Division II programs. Samantha Bohon joined the Gators in May after spending the last 15 seasons at Embry-Riddle in Daytona Beach, Fla. While with Embry-Riddle, Bohon coached four consecutive Sun Conference Tournament champion teams and after the program transitioned to NCAA Division II, finished with the last two Sunshine State Tournament titles, advancing to NCAA DII Tournament action both seasons.

East Carolina is led by Gary Higgins, who was Lenoir-Rhyne’s head coach for the past seven seasons. In his final season, he guided the Bears to the 2021 NCAA Division II semifinal before falling to eventual champion Grand Valley State.

East Carolina opened its season with a pair of ranked opponents, falling 1-0 to then No. 2 Duke and then losing 2-0 at then No. 12 South Carolina. Since then, the Pirates are unbeaten in their next five matches – – High Point (2-0), Old Dominion (3-0), at North Carolina Wilmington (1-0), at Virginia Commonwealth (0-0) and at George Mason (2-1).

UF leads the series 2-0