Florida Gators soccer is off to their best start in six years.
Following a scoreless draw against the Miami Hurricanes, the Gators currently sit at 3-0-1 and have outshot their opponents in all four of their early matches. UF opened the 2023 season with four shutouts for the first time in program history.
The last time Gators soccer went without a loss through the team’s first matches was the 2017 season. Florida went 4-0-0 to start and finished with a 17-7 record.
The undefeated start comes after a 2022 season in which the Gators went 2-14-1—the worst record in program history.
Florida dominated in its home opener against the East Carolina Pirates Aug. 17. The Gators outshot their opponents 11 to six and cruised to a 2-0 victory.
Florida junior forward Madeline Pirello scored the first goal of the season for UF. The Gators dominated possession for most of the game, but the Pirates stayed within reach.
A late goal in the 82nd minute by sophomore midfielder Oakley Rasmussen gave UF some breathing room, and the team held on for the win. The win was a welcome sight for the Gators who were looking to put last season behind them.
“We had 18 new players, and we had 16 days to train,” said Florida head coach Samantha Bohon. “I was excited to finally see them get a result because it’s been well deserved.”
The Gators returned to Donald R. Dizney Field for their second home match against the Maryland Terrapins Aug. 20.
Florida picked up a narrow 1-0 win thanks to freshman forward Lena Bailey, who scored in the 40th minute. The goal marked Bailey’s first at the collegiate level, and she would go on to be named the SEC Freshman Player of the Week.
Florida then traveled south to take on its in-state rival Miami Hurricanes Aug. 24. Despite the game ending in a scoreless tie, the Gators dominated the scoring opportunity battle. They outshot Miami 14-1 and applied pressure on the Hurricane defense throughout the match.
Miami graduate goalkeeper Melissa Dagenais made six saves and gave the Hurricanes an opportunity to win despite Florida’s relentless offensive attack.
“Obviously, we’re really disappointed because we thought we did enough to win the game,” Bohon said after the match.
A huge factor in the Gators’ early success has been the stellar play of senior goalkeeper Alexa Goldberg. Goldberg has been the team’s starting goalkeeper for the past two seasons and has consistently dominated the leaderboard in saves in the SEC.
She started in all four of the team’s matches so far and has yet to allow a goal on the season. Goldberg’s strong play has served as an anchor and has often allowed the team to play from ahead.
Another positive for Florida early on has been the performance of its underclassmen. Freshmen forwards Megan Hinnenkamp and Lena Bailey have been bright spots for the team early on and look to be increasing their roles as the season has progressed.
Hinnenkamp started in all four of the Gators’ early matches and has made her presence felt on the pitch. She scored her first two collegiate goals against Stetson within three minutes of each other.
“The environment and culture of the team has been great,” said Hinnenkamp after the Gators’ win against Stetson. “It’s going to be a great season.”
Florida’s dominant 8-0 win over the Hatters marked the most goals in a Gators’ win since an 8-0 1999 victory over Florida International University.
Bailey has also had a major impact on the team’s success. She has typically come off the bench early on, but it hasn't stopped her from being productive. She scored her first collegiate goal when UF took on Maryland. She also picked up her second goal during Florida’s rout of Stetson.
Despite not starting, Bailey has been able to provide scoring, energy and speed off the bench, which has been an important factor in games. She has seen an increase in minutes in recent games and appears to be flourishing in her role with her new team.
“We’ve just been putting in the hard work and we’re showing it out on the field,” said Bailey following Florida’s victory against Maryland.
The final game of the road trip will be in Tallahassee against the 2021 national champion Florida State Seminoles. It will likely be the biggest test for the Gators so far this season.
The Gators will next be in action against Kennesaw State Sunday at 3 p.m. This will be the first of three consecutive road games for Florida.
Contact Austin Stirling at astirling@alligator.org. Follow him on Twitter @austinstirlingg.
Austin Stirling is a third-year journalism major and sports reporter for The Alligator. He previously covered Gators women's basketball and is primarily covering soccer during the fall 2023 semester. He is a huge New York sports fan and is hoping the Jets can be a respectable football team for once in his life this season.
