In 1995, Becky Burleigh started the Florida program unknown to what the future held. Flash forward 15 years, and the soccer coach has built the Gators into a national powerhouse, winning 11 conference championships, including five straight after a win Friday night in Columbia, S.C.
As the other football team prepares for its annual rivalry in Jacksonville, the No. 8 Gators (15-2-2, 9-1-1 Southeastern Conference) defeated their newfound adversaries, the No. 17 Gamecocks (14-4-2, 8-2-1 SEC), 1-0 to clinch the regular-season conference championship and the fifth consecutive title for the Gators.
“We knew it wasn’t going to be easy,” Burleigh said. “I think it was a great team win. [Winning the SEC title] is a different experience every single time, and they’re all unique, but it never gets old. Ever, ever.”
Jubilation rang all across the postgame locker room, but no one was happier than the three seniors who exit Gainesville with a ring for every year they played.
Starters Katie Fraine (goalie), Ashlee Elliott (center back) and Nicky Kit (left back) propelled Florida to victory, insistent on not losing in their final regular-season SEC game.
While all three contributed to the team’s ninth shutout on the season, it was Kit who secured the victory in the final seconds of the first half.
After freshman Caroline Triglia maintained her composure following a run, Kit drilled a free kick with just two seconds left in the half for the only goal of the game. Following a South Carolina foul with less than 10 seconds remaining in the half, Triglia pleaded with the referee to give the Gators the appropriate 10 yards for a free kick. With time running out, the official stopped the clock to make sure the Gamecocks were properly set. The stoppage allowed Kit to run up from her defensive position to take the free kick, roughly 25 yards away.
With an in-swinging left-footed strike, Kit ripped the ball inside the front right post, clipping the white bar in the process.
“I talked myself through it,” Kit said. “I thought of everything Coach Vic [Campbell] has ever taught me: use your legs, don’t aim and kick it hard.”
“In that moment when everything goes quiet, and I just knew it was going in,” she said. “I just knew I was going to score and I think everyone else did too.”
The halftime momentum swung in the Gators’ favor, and they didn’t let up in the second half. Despite blowing one-goal leads earlier in the season, Florida refused to have a letdown and never allowed the South Carolina to get back into the game.
“We showed a lot of composure in the final few minutes, which is something we’ve struggled with, obviously,” Burleigh said. “Tonight, we proved to ourselves we can win on the road when we’re holding a 1-0 lead.”
Winning on the road and proving their increased maturity made it all the sweeter, Fraine said.
“I just feel really proud on what we’ve accomplished,” she said. “It’s been an exciting ride, and we’re going to try and keep it going.”
