Since coming to Florida, Rachael Zimmerman has undergone enough changes to make the sophomore’s head spin.
Zimmerman arrived in Gainesville a midfielder, but in December, UF coach Amanda O’Leary asked her to switch to defense, which she graciously did.
Zimmerman had to work hard because her weak footwork and over-aggressiveness had prevented her from being a defender before, but after about two months of adjusting, the next change happened.
This time her coach asked her to move to attacker, where she will be playing most of the game when Florida hosts New Hampshire on Saturday at 1 p.m in Donald R. Dizney Stadium.
“Instead of running the whole midfield, right now I’m going to focus solely on attack, and learn the plays, and just try to keep the game going,” Zimmerman said. “It’s been kind of up and down, trying to keep my head on straight.”
After the 22-3 win over Marist on Wednesday, O’Leary told Zimmerman she was glad the sophomore stayed positive throughout the difficult transition, even when she was making mistakes.
“It means a lot that Mandee (O’Leary) does have faith in me to move me around, but it’s also a little stressful,” Zimmerman said. “Because I was struggling with confidence, (wondering) why am I moving all over the place?”
O’Leary said Zimmerman is dynamic, and she understands what the team is trying to accomplish offensively.
However, Zimmerman saw her role adjusted once more in the Gators’ 22-3 win over the Red Foxes because O’Leary added a new dimension — a series of offensive, defensive and midfield substitutions.
Before the first face-off of the match, Zimmerman and freshman attacker Janine Hillier waited by the substitution box.
Zimmerman entered the game when UF took control of the draw, replacing starting defender Kayla Stolins. For the rest of the game, the two would alternate for offense and defense.
Hillier was paired with midfielder Kitty Cullen in the new system, and the two traded off after three sets of playing both ends of the field.
“It’s a lot of running,” Zimmerman said. “You have to really hustle off the field.”
