Young people can be so impatient.
No. 7 Florida (6-3-0) outclassed Eastern Kentucky (3-6-0) 5-1 on Sunday, and all of the team's goals came from underclassmen.
Freshmen Natalia Torosian and Brooke Thigpen each had two goals, and sophomore Lindsay Thompson scored on a header.
The Gators got on the scoreboard in the 38th minute when Sarah Chapman chipped the ball to Nicky Kit on the left flank. Kit then chested the ball to an unmarked Torosian.
Torosian squared up to the goal after her first touch and ripped a shot over EKU goalkeeper Stephanie Lynch from 25 yards out.
Until that point, the Gators were plagued by sluggish play. A UF victory was a foregone conclusion, but the team failed to impose its will.
Coach Becky Burleigh said she had a feeling UF would play sloppy after losing 1-0 to FSU on Friday in a draining game that took 93 minutes to decide.
"We didn't come into this game with as much hype as we did Friday, and it kind of showed in the beginning," said Thompson, who played the entire game against the Seminoles.
The Gators looked energized by Torosian's goal, but they must have lost their enthusiasm in the locker room because the team resorted to careless play to start the second half.
EKU midfielder Carly Muller chased down a ball near the UF goal line on the right side of the field. With Jazmyne Avant marking her, Muller freed herself after a few stepovers and fired a left-footed shot from 15 yards out past goalkeeper Katie Fraine.
At the 53rd minute, the heavily favored Gators were tied with the Colonels 1-1.
Once again, it was Torosian who provided a spark for UF.
"I knew once we got scored on I had to step up again," Torosian said. "One goal wasn't good enough."
Torosian continued to create opportunities for UF, crossing a ball into the penalty box that McKenzie Barney almost headed in, but the team did not score until the 67th minute when Torosian took another shot.
Torosian found the ball after a blocked shot was deflected her way. She then dribbled past a defender and took a shot from 18 yards out that found the upper left corner and gave the Gators the lead for good.
Any hope the Colonels had left was gone 29 seconds later, when Torosian chipped the ball to Thigpen, who took a shot from the left wing. Lynch appeared to record the save, but mishandled the ball as she fell to the ground and it rolled into the back of the net.
A minute later, the Gators scored on a Thompson header from Kit, and the game was fittingly capped off by another Thigpen goal in the 87th minute.
During the last four games, Thigpen has emerged as an offensive weapon for UF. She has scored three goals and recorded two assists in that span.
Thigpen said UF's 3-0 loss to UCLA Sept. 6 was a wakeup call for her.
"I personally realized (after the loss that) I got to start playing faster and be more confident and play like I know how to play and not be so intimidated by the college level," she said.
