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Friday, March 29, 2024

If a mad scientist ever made a prototype for the perfect goalkeeper, it would be tall, quick, loud and fearless. 

Meet Florida’s Katie Fraine. The 5-foot-10 redshirt senior has all the attributes coaches look for in a goalkeeper, and fortunately for the No. 7 Gators, she’s really good, too.

The UF stopper has both the bark and bite to help guide the Gators to a fifth consecutive Southeastern Conference Championship. She’s one of two captains on Becky Burleigh’s largest squad ever and an All-SEC performer with 20 career shutouts and a 0.88 goals-against average.

This weekend when the Gators travel to Kentucky, the Titusville native will embark on her final SEC season. In a recent interview, Fraine spoke about her career and her senior season.

What are you looking forward to most the rest of this season, and what would it mean to go 5 for 5 on conference championships?

Fraine: “I just really want to win another SEC Championship. I’d like to have a ring for every finger. Winning a fifth championship would mean to me that I really contributed here. Before my class got here [Florida] hadn’t won it for three or four years, but as soon as my class got here we won one, then two, three, then four. To be able to take home a fifth one would prove to me that I’ve really helped this program move in the direction it wants to go.”

What is your proudest moment since coming to Gainesville?

Fraine: “Definitely last year’s SEC Championship. It meant a lot to me because it was the first one I’d done in net all on my own. It was just really special because we won and I got SEC first-team honors. It was special to be recognized for helping the team get to that point. Also going 11-0 (in SEC play) my sophomore year is a memory that I’ll never forget unless we do it again this year.”

Thinking back on your career, do you have a defining play or signature save you can remember?

Fraine: “As a keeper, I feel that every game has a defining moment that helps the team. To narrow down one would take away from the others, but coming up against Kentucky last year, I made a real sick save in the waning minutes that won us the game. That’s just one that stands out to me now that we’re about to go play them at their home.”

As captain, who are you most proud of this season?

Fraine: “I can’t say enough about Mac (McKenzie Barney). She’s done such a great job pumping people up and really laying her heart on the line and being there for this team emotionally, psychologically when it really mattered. She’s scored some big goals for us and she’s always there in overtime to make a speech and get everyone fired up. She’s only a sophomore and I see so much potential for her. I’m so proud of her this year.”

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What rival do you hate the most?

Fraine: “FSU is always a fun rival really, but Georgia is definitely my least favorite. I always get pumped up for that game because those girls are pretty rough. I don’t know what it is about them. South Carolina has done some disrespectful things to us in the past, so they’re another one we’re looking forward to playing and doing the best we can against them.”

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