The Gators found themselves trailing in the first half Sunday afternoon for the second time in as many games.
But unlike Friday night, when the Gators got a game-winning goal from midfielder McKenzie Barney, No. 8 Florida (3-1-0, 0-0 Southeastern Conference) was unable to conjure up any late-game heroics as it fell 2-0 to No. 15 UCLA (3-0, 0-0-0 Pac-12) to end the First Tennessee Lady Vols Classic in Knoxville, Tenn.
In handing UF its first loss of the season, the Bruins were able to penetrate the Gators’ defense early, sending two shots off the crossbar in the second minute of action.
UCLA took the lead in the 35th minute on a goal from freshman defender Ally Courtnall.
The Bruins then added an insurance goal in the 72nd minute when freshman Sarah Killon intercepted a UF clearance attempt and played it to All-American forward Sydney Leroux, who put it past Gators keeper Brooke Chancey.
“We trust our players to take care of the ball in front of the goal,” said coach Becky Burleigh. “Unfortunately, sometimes mistakes like those happen and we have to limit them.”
Missed opportunities were a common occurrence throughout the game for the Gators. In the 22nd minute, Florida nearly took the lead when freshman forward Tessa Andujar played a through ball to Barney, but her shot was saved by UCLA keeper Katelyn Rowland.
The Gators came out aggressively in the second half, doubling their shot total from four to eight in the first seven minutes of the half. But Florida could not convert.
In the 51st minute, freshman midfielder Havana Solaun received the ball in the box off a corner kick and passed it to fellow midfielder Sarah Chapman, but she was unable to put the ball in the near corner of the goal.
Senior Lindsay Thompson’s shot also went just wide of the post in the 64th minute.
Burleigh said she was encouraged by her team’s play and the opportunities created against a team she considers to be one of the best in the country.
“Did we give ourselves enough scoring chances to win the game? Yes,” she said. “Did we convert on enough of those opportunities? No.”
However, Florida did convert on Friday, when it defeated No. 18 Texas A&M, 3-2, after a game-winning goal from Barney, her first of the season. She put a cross from defender Jazmyne Avant in the back of the net with just 15 seconds remaining in regulation.
The Gators got on the board first as Erika Tymrak scored her first goal of the season from nine yards out on a through ball from Solaun. After two straight Aggies goals, sophomore Taylor Travis tied it up for the Gators in the 39th minute off a cross from Thompson.
This season is the first in the 17-year history of the Gators soccer program that the team played its first four games on the road. The Gators’ road trip comes to an end Friday as they return to Pressley Stadium to host the Texas Tech.
“We are absolutely looking forward to being back in front of the home crowd,” Burleigh said.
Midfielder McKenzie Barney scored the game-winning goal in Friday’s game against Texas A&M, but UF couldn’t duplicate that success in Sunday’s 2-0 loss to UCLA.
