For Florida fans, beating Georgia is a big deal.
And although the Gators football team does not play the Bulldogs until Nov. 1 in Jacksonville, the other Florida futbol team will take to the pitch against Georgia tonight at 7 at James G. Pressly Stadium.
In soccer, the Gators are 25-2-1 all-time against the Bulldogs, including a 5-1 win in Athens, Ga., last season. UGA also has never defeated UF in Gainesville, something that gives the No. 7 Gators an edge as the home team this evening.
But Florida (6-2, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) knows getting the victory will not be easy.
The Bulldogs (6-1-1, 1-0-1 SEC) enter the game ranked No. 22 in the country while riding a five-game winning streak, which was kept alive after a come-from-behind victory against Vanderbilt Sunday. During the streak, Georgia has outscored its opponents 14-2 and has scored first in every game except its win against Vanderbilt, meaning starting slow is not an option for the Gators.
But the players and coaches said they feel confident that the difficult early season road trip – which included visits to Tallahassee against then-No. 2 Florida State and Palo Alto, Calif., against then-No. 4 Stanford – has prepared them to take on any challenge the Bulldogs may throw at them.
"We just saw so many different things," coach Becky Burleigh said. "We saw different types of teams, the styles of play, playing in different parts of the country – all those things just add to the experience that we have to start the season."
For junior defensive back Claire Falknor, one of Florida’s most experienced players as well as an anchor on the back line, the return home came at the right time.
"It’s definitely hard to travel, when you’ve got a lot of adversity thrown at you," Falknor said. "But I think from the losses and wins, we’ve taken something out of each game."
Falknor and the rest of the back line will be tasked with shutting down Georgia’s impressive sophomores, which includes leading scorers Marion Crowder and Gabby Seiler. Each has five goals on the season, and Seiler has seven assists as well.
Georgia also has five freshmen on its roster who play for their respective youth national teams.
But for Florida, to be the best, you have to beat the best.
"We always say, when we play against a team, we always want them to bring their best, because it brings out the best in us," said Liz Slattery, a sophomore midfielder who scored her first goal of the season in Florida’s last game against Alabama. "And so when we beat them, it feels that much better to know that we beat them at their best."
Florida hosts Missouri on Sunday afternoon, which is coming off its own four-game winning streak. But Slattery said she hopes only one team leaves this weekend on a hot streak.
"We’re hoping to keep going on that roll," Slattery said. "And maybe end theirs."
Follow Graham Hack on Twitter @graham_hack24
Florida (front) huddles prior to its 3-0 win against Miami on Aug. 22 at James G. Pressly Stadium.
