Coming off two wins last week, Florida looked to secure its last non-conference matchup victory against Georgia State and gain momentum before entering SEC play.
Despite outshooting Georgia State 18-5 and earning 14 corner kicks, Florida struggled to get goals on the board.
Ultimately, the Gators (4-3) fell short, losing 2-1 against the Panthers (4-3) Sunday night at Donald R. Dizney Stadium.
Florida’s offense struggled to get past Georgia State’s redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Ariana Anderson. The Gators logged seven shots on goal, and Anderson saved all but one.
In the first four minutes, UF redshirt junior midfielder Madison Jones took the first shot of the game to the top center of the net, but Anderson saved it.
Despite several opportunities to score in the first half, the game was scoreless at halftime.
In the second half, Florida’s offense started strong.
The Gators took the lead after Jones found the back of the net in the 52nd minute, marking her first goal as a Florida player.
However, Florida’s celebrations were short-lived as Georgia State’s offense ramped up.
In the 60th minute, Georgia State defender Lily Sawyer scored after a free kick with an assist from sophomore forward Sunniyah Tucker and freshman midfielder Carys Fraser. The Panthers then pulled ahead of the Gators after junior Aaliyah Faddoul sent a ball into the center that reached senior forward Reese Gordon, who found the net in the 64th minute.
The last 30 minutes of the game were characterized by aggressive defense from both teams and many attempts from Florida to catch up to Georgia State. Sophomore redshirt forward Megan Hinnenkamp seemingly scored in the 74th minute, but the goal was dismissed after official review due to offsides.
The Gators were unable to score again. The offense struggled to get past Anderson and capitalize on the corner kicks and shots it earned. With the loss, the Gators dropped their second home match this season.
Florida kicks off SEC play at home this week against No. 13 Arkansas (2-2-2) at 6 p.m. Thursday.
Contact Nicole Lopez at nlopez@alligator.org. Follow her on X @lopeznicole715.
Nicole is a sophomore journalism student and the women's tennis beat reporter for the fall semester. In her free time, she enjoys reading, collecting records and spending time with her friends and family.
