Savannah Jordan saved the Gators.
In a game where Florida broke an all-time record with 26 corner kick opportunities and went scoreless through 108 minutes, Jordan’s goal in the 109th minute led Florida (10-3-1, 4-2 Southeastern Conference) to a 1-0 double-overtime victory over Mississippi State (3-10, 0-6 SEC) on Friday night.
Florida had time for only one attack as outside back Lauren Silver ran the ball up the near flank. As Mississippi State defenders looked to hone in on her, Silver sent a meticulous cross to the box with Jordan ready to pounce on it. The freshman forward took a quick shot to near post and sank the ball into the net.
The goal is Jordan’s 13th this season.
“[Jordan’s] patience paid off,” coach Becky Burleigh said. “She stayed positive. She stayed disciplined. And in the end, that’s what it took to score that goal.”
Jordan took seven shots throughout the game, all either sent wide, high or blocked.
All game, the Gators were in the driver’s seat, staying consistent with possession in the Bulldogs attacking third.
However, with 26 Florida corner kicks disrupting the natural rhythm of play, Florida just couldn’t put the ball on frame and Mississippi State took advantage of it.
“It’s really frustrating for our system to be the one game like that because there’s just so many numbers behind you when you get the ball,” Burleigh said.
“I think we really missed some people that weren’t here this weekend. In that situation, obviously [Pamela Begic] is a big target of ours on corners. Certainly she’s a weapon in there.”
Out of those 26 corner kicks, one was a near miss off a header effort by junior midfielder Havana Solaun that hit the crossbar.
Solaun had another opportunity to put a point on the scoreboard in the second half, after a Mississippi State foul.
Solaun took a penalty shot to the Bulldogs goal, but sent it to the wrong post. The ball hit at near post, being swooped up by Bulldogs goalkeeper CJ Winship.
If Jordan hadn’t scored the game-winning goal, the tie would have left Florida falling behind in the SEC standings. After coming in at fifth in the league, Friday’s win allowed Florida to still have a shot at another SEC regular-season title.
“I really felt strongly that we were going to win,” Burleigh said. “I just felt like we really deserved to win, and we were doing too much to not win that game. If we hadn’t, I think it would have been really unjust with the way we played.”
Follow Michelle Provenzano on Twitter @mmprovenzano.
Savannah Jordan battles for the ball during Florida’s 2-0 win against Minnesota on Sept. 13 at James G. Pressly Stadium.
