GAINESVILLE, Fla. – It’s all Southeastern Conference action for Florida soccer the remainder of the regular season.
* Southeastern Conference home play begins Thursday versus Kentucky. The Wildcats are Florida’s most frequent SEC home opening opponent. Thursday’s meeting is the sixth time UF opens league home action with UK.
* Then Florida meets its first of two Magnolia State opponents. UF is at Mississippi State Sunday and then Mississippi comes to Gainesville for a Sunday, Oct. 3 match. When UF and MSU last met, it was a 0-0 double overtime tie in Starkville in 2018.
Thursday, Sept. 23 versus Kentucky
* Time/Site: 6:30 p.m. ET at Donald R. Dizney Stadium<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_sports_2020_4_4_donald-2Dr-2Ddizney-2Dstadium.aspx&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=q-EdwsO-Y4yDGVh1n7677BvxcIRd2v9C0bbNgPWI_eg&s=c0dC1Ul6fMQ5ho37Hjml27IC8rKNgHp8JUtFhM7qFd0&e= > (1,500)
* Audio: GatorVision<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_watch_-3FLive-3D3606-26type-3DArchive&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=q-EdwsO-Y4yDGVh1n7677BvxcIRd2v9C0bbNgPWI_eg&s=QgokeFH-ftC1SfkxcHttZCLlyainoUzUpXUgBPBrKVQ&e= > with Kyle Crooks and Matthew Stubbington calling the action
* Note there is no video stream available for UF-UK match
* Tickets: Free admission
* Live Stats<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__stats.statbroadcast.com_statmonitr_-3Fid-3D354810&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=q-EdwsO-Y4yDGVh1n7677BvxcIRd2v9C0bbNgPWI_eg&s=JRT95S4w4TaWW2hGiNctx0KIM5_D9LCNPVT33nJ5Sfw&e= >
Sunday, Sept. 26 at Mississippi State
* Time/Site: 7 p.m. ET at MSU Soccer Field<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_sports_2020_4_4_donald-2Dr-2Ddizney-2Dstadium.aspx&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=q-EdwsO-Y4yDGVh1n7677BvxcIRd2v9C0bbNgPWI_eg&s=c0dC1Ul6fMQ5ho37Hjml27IC8rKNgHp8JUtFhM7qFd0&e= > (500)
* SEC Network +<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.espn.com_watch_player-3Fid-3Ddf404bed-2Df230-2D4da7-2D9211-2Dcfa5e50913ea&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=q-EdwsO-Y4yDGVh1n7677BvxcIRd2v9C0bbNgPWI_eg&s=n-a786K1LAkN7CkntCpVCOCf2MfPymuEzrhJJNo7TSA&e= >
* Radio: ESPN Gainesville 98.1 FM / 850 AM<https://www.wruf.com/listen-live/> with Kyle Crooks and Matthew Stubbington calling the action
* Tickets: Free admission
* Live Stats<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__stats.statbroadcast.com_statmonitr_-3Fid-3D352486&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=q-EdwsO-Y4yDGVh1n7677BvxcIRd2v9C0bbNgPWI_eg&s=pF3EpD_sNo1UnaFHDKBYoDfM3AR5RmRax3vhxV4BaWo&e= >
Last Time Florida-Kentucky Met:
Florida advanced to 2020 SEC Second Round play with a 6-5 OT win over Kentucky at the Orange Beach Sportsplex. Parker Roberts gave UF an early lead in the 24th minute, but the Wildcats scored three times to take a 3-1 halftime lead. Florida then had a three-goal scoring flurry to take a 4-3 lead off goals from Cassidy Lindley (61:12), Laney Steed (67:45) and Deanne Rose (75:34). UK regained the lead in the 84th minute after a pair of goals in a two-minute span. Roberts headed in the cross from Rose at 88:03 to force overtime. Lindley gave UF its first win in a seven-match span when she touched in the deep cross from Rose at 95:25. The 11 combined goals scored equals both SEC Tournament and Florida program records.
Last Time Florida-Mississippi State Played:
When Florida last played Mississippi State, the two teams played to a scoreless tie on Sept. 18, 2018. Florida had several good looks, as UF outshot MSU 20-15, but couldn’t convert any opportunities into scores. The shutout was Florida’s third of the season. It was the 25th for senior goalkeeper Kaylan Marckese, putting her two away from tying Florida’s career solo shutout record. Marckese did finish her career with UF’s shutout record (29).
2021 Records:
Florida (1-5-3, 0-0-1 SEC)
Kentucky (6-2-2, 0-1 SEC)
Mississippi State (2-3-2, 0-1 SEC)
Series Records:
Kentucky: UF leads 24-5-3
MSU: UF leads 15-2-2
Florida Celebrates 50th Anniversary for Women’s Athletics:
This is Gator Soccer’s 27th season as women’s athletics celebrates its 50th anniversary at the University of Florida in 2021-22. UF soccer advanced to the NCAA Tournament 22 times and is one of 11 programs to win a NCAA title in the 39-year history of NCAA play. Florida’s 14 Southeastern Conference titles leads the league.
Florida soccer wears 50th Anniversary warm-up shirts Thursday to kick off the year-long celebration.
About this Week’s Gator Opponents:
Kentucky
Kentucky and Florida have played one common opponent this season, as both teams lost 2-1 at top-20 South Florida. Like Florida, the Wildcats have played three overtime matches in 2021 and is 1-0-2 in those extended matches (3-2 OT win versus Murray State; 1-1 2OT at Purdue; 0-0 2OT versus Dayton).
Juniors Jordyn Rhodes and Hannah Richardson share the UK goals lead (8) and Rhodes is the points leader (21). Freshman goalkeeper Laura Nielsen of Odense, Denmark, has started every match and owns a goals against average of 0.890.
Mississippi State
The Bulldogs opened Southeastern Conference play with a 2-0 loss at then No. 6 Louisiana State. MSU has met one other team that is among the current United Soccer Coaches top-25, losing 1-0 to Arizona State on Aug. 26.
Junior Onyi Echegini is the Bulldogs’ points (5) and goals (2) leader. Sophomore goalkeeper Maddy Anderson has played every minute this season and owns a goals-against-average of 0.81.
