Toni Pressley decided it had been long enough.
Her FSU squad had engaged in a 90-minute tussle with the UF soccer team, to no avail.
A 0-0 game that beckoned for overtime, and overtime beckoned for a goal.
The Seminoles Rachel Lim missed on a shot off a throw in, but it was deflected right to Pressley who finished from eight yards out for the golden goal in the 93rd minute.
After more than an hour and a half of play, the Gators (5-3, 0-0 Southeastern Conference) dropped their first home match of the season to No. 5 FSU 1-0.
Despite the losing effort, UF coach Becky Burleigh and the team came away with some postives.
"I thought it was one of the best performances of the season," Burleigh said.
It took 93 minutes, but the Gators' defense finally broke after playing shutout ball for two halves.
UF keeper Katie Fraine had three saves and help from teammate Lauren Hyde, who had a team save in the 22nd minute after FSU's offense lured Fraine away from the net.
"I think our defense did a really great job," UF defender Kathryn Williamson said. "There were times where we could have provided better cover, but overall, I'm really proud of our defense."
The loss marked a significant improvement from the 3-0 loss on Sept. 6 in Champagne, Ill., against UCLA.
In that match, UF was ranked No. 6 and UCLA was No. 9. It didn't seem that way as UCLA ran all over the Gators and kept them on their heels.
"We had to raise the level after UCLA," Burleigh said.
On Friday night, Florida came in as a team that looked more its ranking: No. 7 heading into the match.
"We played hard for 90 minutes, plus overtime," Erika Tymrak said. "We can't be mad at each other, we're pretty proud of each other."
With eight shots apiece, the two teams each had offensive opportunities.
In the 16 minute, FSU's Jessica Price took a corner kick. Fraine saved it, found teammate Brooke Thigpen who raced along the field and crossed it to Lindsay Thompson but failed to connect.
The Gators edged out the Seminoles on corner kicks, especially in the first half 6-2, but was unable to connect on any of them.
"I really feel like we outplayed (FSU) this year," Fraine said. "I think that this game can only be a positive for us."
