It isn’t a matter of if the record will be broken, but when.
Taylor Burke, Florida’s senior goalkeeper, has had a remarkable collegiate career with the Gators. She has 182 saves and 26 solo shutouts in her 76 appearances in the net for UF.
Those 26 shutouts are only one less than the record number of 27 held by Florida’s Katie Fraine from 2006 to 2010. With six remaining regular season games on the Gators’ schedule this year, Burke should hold the record by the end of the season.
"I don’t really think about it," Burke said regarding the shutout record. "It’s just kind of in the back of my mind, and my whole career I’ve had an unbelievable back line in front of me, so I think I owe a lot of credit to them."
With just one game this coming weekend against Mississippi State, Burke can only tie the shutout record. But seeing as Mississippi State is 0-5 in Southeastern Conference play and last in the SEC with only 12 goals scored this year, Burke’s chances look pretty good.
Just this past weekend, in Florida’s wins over then No. 9 Texas A&M and Arkansas, the 6-foot-1 Medina, Ohio, native had one of her best road trips of the season. She tied her career-high with eight saves against the Aggies, who lead the SEC in scoring, and recorded the shutout.
Burke’s saves against Texas A&M were not typical slow-rolling shots or can-of-corn floaters either. She came out and attacked the Aggies’ forwards and forced them to take bad shots. That’s the extra level that she brings to the goalkeeper position.
"I think, especially as of late, she’s really come up with some saves that have kept us in games, what more can you ask from a keeper?" coach Becky Burleigh said of Burke. "She’s making the routine saves, but she’s also making saves that have kept us in games."
With her performance against Texas A&M, Burke was nationally recognized as the Capital One Cup Impact Performer of the Week.
"It was definitely cool," Burke said. "Being a national award, that was really cool and I’m really excited and just honored to be looked at a national level."
Then, in Sunday’s game against Arkansas, Burke followed up her eight-save performance with six saves against the Razorbacks. No shutout though, as Florida would win 3-1.
The most goals allowed by Burke this season in a single game is two. That only happened once, in Florida’s first loss of the year to Oklahoma. She has given up only seven goals all season in 947 minutes of play, which is second best in the SEC.
Last year, Burke finished the season with a goals-against-average of 0.54, the lowest season GAA in Florida soccer history. That’s comparable to a very impressive ERA for a baseball pitcher. Taylor Burke is to the Gators as Clayton Kershaw is to the Dodgers.
Needless to say, Florida has greatly benefited from Burke’s big time plays as a goalkeeper for the Gators over the last four years.
"Her leadership back there and her experience is just a big part of what we do," Burleigh said.
Burke has one standout trait as a goalkeeper that is very valuable. Dependability. She is trusted to make the right decisions, and her teammates and coaches know that she has the capability of making just about any save.
As she now closes in on the school shutout record, Burke hopes to cement her place in Florida soccer history. But she’s still taking her senior season one game at a time.
"We’re just looking forward to this weekend," Burke said, "and hopefully we can get a shutout and a win."
Follow Alex Maminakis on Twitter @AlexMaminakis
Florida goalkeeper Taylor Burke takes a goal kick.
