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Friday, March 29, 2024

Soccer team looking for growth vs. No. 2 South Carolina

<p>UF midfielder Pamela Begic dribbles the ball during Florida's 3-2 win over Central Florida on Sept. 18, 2016, at James G. Pressly Stadium. </p>

UF midfielder Pamela Begic dribbles the ball during Florida's 3-2 win over Central Florida on Sept. 18, 2016, at James G. Pressly Stadium. 

With only four regular-season games remaining, No. 17 Florida (10-3, Southeastern Conference 5-2) will face its biggest test of the season Sunday: taking on No. 2 South Carolina on the road.

The Gamecocks (13-0-1, 7-0 SEC) are riding a 13-game win streak, which matches a school record.

The Gators travel to Columbia with a four-game winning streak of their own on the line.

“I have definitely seen some growth over the past four games, but still a lot of room left to grow,” UF coach Becky Burleigh said on Wednesday.

“Obviously we are going to face a really, really good South Carolina team and we’re excited about that because it will give us an opportunity to see where we are.”

The Gamecocks, who own the top winning percentage in Division I women's soccer (.964), have only trailed for 85 seconds the whole season.

They've also given up just two goals against SEC opponents.

Much of their success is a credit to South Carolina’s own Savannah, junior forward Savannah McCaskill.

McCaskill has 11 goals on the season, just one less than the Gators’ leader on offense, Savannah Jordan (12).

“(McCaskill’s) a really good player, she’s dangerous because she’s all over the field, she’s quick, she’s creative,” Burleigh said.

“We look at her as somebody that really is key for them, but I also don’t want to minimize the supporting cast she has around her, because I think she’s got a good group.”

But the Gators are a team that proved over its last few games that it can present problems to opponents on offense.

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Jordan, the SEC Offensive Player of the Week, scored twice in each of the team's last two matches against both Georgia and Ole Miss.

She leads the SEC with her 12 goals and 31 points.

But she isn’t doing it alone.

During Florida’s 3-0 win at Ole Miss on Sunday, senior midfielder Pamela Begic had a goal of her own, her second overall on the season.

“We always have two goals in every game, which is have more than 500 passes with 80 percent completion rate,” Begic said.

“So if we meet those goals we have high chances of winning. We just need to focus on us. That’s always the emphasis. Play our soccer, do what we’re good at and demolish them.”

Contact Lauren Staff at lstaff@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter @lstaff27.

UF midfielder Pamela Begic dribbles the ball during Florida's 3-2 win over Central Florida on Sept. 18, 2016, at James G. Pressly Stadium. 

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