The Florida Gators have not seen much success since conference play started, losing and tying twice since their most recent victory. However it seems they have turned a corner since their road trip to College Station that saw them get back into the win column.
Their rankings took a hit, as they haven't been mentioned in the coaches poll for two weeks. Not receiving any honorable mentions, Florida has been a team on the outside looking in.
Hopefully, the Gators’ road victory can translate back home and rejuvenate Nick Zimmerman's program.
Here’s a look at the latest Florida soccer weekly update, including how the Gators fared in their previous matches and what’s ahead for the program.
Gators stall out versus Mississippi State in Starkville
In what was a homecoming for head coach Nick Zimmerman, the Gators
left Starkville with another tie to the record. The match was fairly quiet in the first half, with Mississippi State scoring the lone goal in the 11th minute.
The score would remain the same for much of the contest until the 60th minute, when Florida's Skye Barnes notched her first goal of the season with a penalty kick. The tug-of-war continued throughout the second as the Bulldogs regained the lead four minutes after on the heels of a dynamic headed ball from Eden Nicholson.
Mississippi State's one-point lead would have the Gators on the edge until Kyra Taylor, the program's leading scorer this season, dialed in her fifth goal of the season to tie the match 2-2 in the 78th minute.
Florida had an ample amount of opportunity to close the game; however, late saves would keep the game knotted until the end, marking the third draw all-time between the two SEC programs.
Florida's knot continues against Longhorns
The Gators returned home to face the Longhorns and put on quite the offensive effort, outshooting Texas, 18-5. Nonetheless, they ended up adding another tie to their resume.
Texas took an early lead in the 30th minute on a converted penalty kick from Ashlyn Anderson. Lael Hill almost sent the game into halftime tied but failed to convert due to superb defense from Texas' goalkeeper.
Florida continued to persevere offensively but had nothing going for them due to UT's defense. Zoe Main would tie the game in the 60th minute for the Orange and Blue to give the team life late into the contest.
Gators get back on track in College Station
Florida finally broke through in SEC play with an explosive 5-2 offensive performance against Texas A&M on the road.
The Gators wasted no time getting in control of this contest, scoring four goals in the first half of play. Lael Hill opened it up with her first goal of her career in the 13th minute, followed by Kyra Taylor nine minutes later. Sophia Sindelar and Katie Johnston joined the scoring barrage before halftime, giving Florida a commanding 4-0 lead.
Taylor capped off the offensive flurry in the 54th minute with her second score.
TAMU tried to claw back, but the five-point deficit proved to be too much to overcome, thus leading the Gators to get back in the win column. Coach Zimmerman was very pleased with his program's performance, crediting the win to the teams offensive output.
“Really proud of the group. We spoke to the team about taking games and, through the performance, earning the result. To score the goals we did today in multidimensional ways is something we talk about daily. We have created a lot of chances over the last two weeks, and we felt a game like this was coming. To win on the road in the SEC isn’t easy, especially on Sundays. We will rest, recover, learn and go again! Go Gators!” Zimmerman said.
Florida's schedule doesn't get easier; they welcome both LSU and Alabama to Donald R. Dizney Stadium. The Crimson Tide are currently ranked No. 5 in the IWSOC Coaches Poll and will prove to be a tall task for the Gators.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida soccer returns to win column after trip to College Station
