Five days after their largest offensive explosion of the season, the Gators found themselves in a defensive struggle Friday night against the Bulldogs in their Southeastern Conference opener.
Through one half, the No. 6 Gators (8-2, 1-0 SEC) and Bulldogs (6-3, 0-1 SEC) mustered just 10 combined shots with only one on-goal for UF and two for UGA.
But just when the stalemate seemed endless, junior midfielder Erika Tymrak recalled the advice of two notable former Gators and lifted her squad to a 1-0 win.
“We had plenty of possession in the first half,” UF coach Becky Burleigh said. “It was just difficult to break through their defense because they were not taking many risks.”
The scoring drought would continue until Tymrak came back off the bench in the 69th minute.
Burleigh said right before she inserted Tymrak back in the game, she reminded her of advice given the Gators by U.S. women’s national team members Heather Mitts and Abby Wambach.
When visiting Gainesville before Florida’s home opener earlier this month, Mitts and Wambach addressed the team before the game and wrote on the blackboard, “It only takes one good chance.”
Tymrak subbed in at the 68:19 mark and quickly got that chance when sophomore forward Taylor Travis intercepted a Georgia goal kick.
Travis played the ball to Tymrak, who dribbled it through the Bulldog box and put a shot inside the near post at the 69:04 mark for her seventh goal of the season.
The Bulldogs nearly tied the game in the 90th minute when freshmen forward Jenna Owens blasted a shot from about 40 yards out. The ball was nearly out of reach of 6-foot-1 goalie Taylor Burke’s arms, but it bounced off the cross bar.
“I saw it coming and told myself to be calm,” Burke said. “I was able to get a hand on it and then the ball hit the crossbar. I wasn’t sure if it went out for a corner, but then I saw it come down so I was able to pick it up.”
Florida continues conference play on the road in Knoxville, Tenn., Sunday to take on the No.12 Tennessee (7-2, 0-1 SEC), who lost in overtime to South Carolina, 2-1, on Friday night. The Volunteers are the only remaining ranked team currently on the Gators schedule.
Burleigh said Friday’s win was big as they prepare for the weekend’s final showdown.
“It’s important to get those three points on the road,” she said. “To start out on the road in the SEC is always a challenge.”
