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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Chancey surrenders game winner in first loss to LSU in 15 years

<p>Freshman Taylor Burke (No. 0) did not start against LSU, and senior Brooke Chancey allowed the Tigers’ only goal in a 1-0 loss.</p>

Freshman Taylor Burke (No. 0) did not start against LSU, and senior Brooke Chancey allowed the Tigers’ only goal in a 1-0 loss.

On Senior Day, coach Becky Burleigh’s decision to give one senior a chance to shine proved costly.

In the 30th minute Sunday, LSU keeper Mo Isom cleared the ball toward midfield. Midfielder Natalie Martineau controlled the ball and played it up to Tigers leading scorer Taryne Boudreau, who blasted a shot from 30 yards out, over the outstretched arms of 5-foot-6 Florida senior keeper Brooke Chancey.

“We gave up a bad goal,” Burleigh said.

No. 13 Florida (14-5, 7-3 Southeastern Conference) was unable to come back, losing 1-0 to LSU (12-6-1, 7-3 SEC) at Pressly Stadium.

The Gators’ coach gave Chancey the start ahead of freshman Taylor Burke, whose play earned her the majority of the time in net during conference play. Chancey came in with just two SEC appearances on the season.

The senior’s last action was on Oct. 9 against Alabama, a game in which she started but was replaced in favor of Burke after the first half, when she allowed a goal in the 22nd minute.

Burke had a goals against average of .91 prior the game, compared to 1.17 for Chancey.

Against LSU, Chancey was once again pulled at halftime and replaced with the 6-foot-1 Burke, who was not forced to make a save in the second half. Burleigh said she started Chancey with the intention of playing her the entire game.

“We were not planning on making the change,” Burleigh said.

With the Tigers a game behind the Gators in the standings entering Sunday, and South Carolina (14-5, 8-2 SEC) coming to Gainesville on Friday for the regular-season finale, Florida had control of its path to the SEC regular-season title. But that changed with Sunday’s loss — the first ever to LSU — and now Friday’s matchup with the SEC-leading Gamecocks is a must-win.

Burke went untested, because for the second time in their last three games the Gators controlled the run of play but failed to finish on numerous scoring chances.

In a span of six minutes following the Boudreau goal, Florida had three corner kicks and six shots. UF finished the second half with 10 shots while LSU had just two.

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Burleigh said the Gators played well in the first half but were unable to complete their chances with good final passes once they were within six yards of the net.

The Tigers bunkered down in the second half, dropping several players back to not give the Gators space to create, but Burleigh said the conservative defense was not an excuse for the lack of offensive results.

“It’s not like we have not seen that from half the SEC schedule,” Burleigh said. “It’s not something we are not prepared to deal with. Did we do a good job of dealing with it in the second half? Absolutely not.”

The Gators’ leading scorer, forward Erika Tymrak, said the offense has to find its rhythm as the team prepares for the Gamecocks.

“We didn’t finish, and it has to be fixed,” Tymrak said, “and it has to be worked on in practice this week.”

Freshman Taylor Burke (No. 0) did not start against LSU, and senior Brooke Chancey allowed the Tigers’ only goal in a 1-0 loss.

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