Savannah Jordan has a knack for making game-changing plays.
After Florida and Mississippi State went scoreless through two halves and 10 minutes of overtime on Friday night, Jordan scored the winning goal in the 109th minute to give the Gators a 1-0 victory.
“It was crazy because I felt like it was really slow,” Jordan said of the leadup to the goal. “I was up there waiting a long time, and it felt like the play was taking a long time to develop. I was hanging out by the goal and Annie (Speese) played a great ball out to Lauren (Silver). She’s always got the best services in to me. Lauren crossed it in and I went up for the header, and luckily it went in.”
Burleigh added: “[Jordan’s] patience paid off. She stayed positive. She stayed disciplined. And in the end, that’s what it took to score that goal.”
The freshman forward has 13 goals this season, which has her tied with Ole Miss forward Rafaelle Souza for the most in the Southeastern Conference.
Jordan's 13 goals have come on a team-leading 42 shots this season. Even with her high volume, she raises her game a notch when UF needs it most.
In Florida’s matchup with South Carolina on Oct. 4, the Gators fell behind early.
The Gamecocks led the Gators 1-0 until Jordan took a left-footed shot to score and tie the game with 33 seconds remaining in the first half.
Jordan’s tenacious, game-winning goal on Friday showed her value to the team and helped Florida stay in contention for an SEC regular season title with five games left.
“I’m really proud of how the team played [Friday],” Jordan said.
“We all fought, which is something we talked about in practice this week. We wanted to show mental toughness and to fight for each other. I thought everyone played with tremendous heart [Friday] — it was amazing.”
Burleigh added: “This was a big win. Every win from this point forward is a big win.”
Follow Michelle Provenzano on Twitter @mmprovenzano.
Savannah Jordan (left) pushes past an opponent during Florida’s 3-0 loss against Florida State on Aug. 30 at James G. Pressly Stadium.
