Florida entered Sunday on a three-match winning streak, while Florida Atlantic earned its first victory of the season Thursday. The Gators had historically dominated the series with a 7-0-1 record, though each of their last three matches in Boca Raton went to overtime.
The teams’ only common opponent this season was Florida State, but they experienced vastly different results. Florida secured a 3-1 victory, while FAU suffered a 3-0 loss.
But every dog has its day, and Sunday’s result proved it.
FAU frustrated Florida’s highly touted attack throughout the opening 45 minutes, holding the Gators scoreless in a half for the first time this season. UF broke through shortly after halftime, but the Owls responded with an equalizer 14 minutes later.
No. 20 Florida (3-1-1) ultimately settled for its first draw of the season, tying Florida Atlantic (1-2-2) 1-1 on Sunday at FAU Soccer Stadium. The Gators controlled the attack with 18 shots, but junior goalkeeper Ashley Small delivered a career-high 10 saves to preserve the draw for the Owls.
Florida applied pressure early, earning two corner kicks in the opening minute. On the second, freshman midfielder Mia Gray delivered a well-placed cross into the box that found forward Addy Hess. The redshirt sophomore redirected the ball toward the net, but her header struck the crossbar before the Owls’ defense cleared it.
Five minutes later, senior forward Zoe Main dribbled past the FAU back line and found herself one-on-one with the goalkeeper Small, but she held her ground to make the save.
The Gators continued to control the match throughout the opening 15 minutes, recording four shots, including two on goal.
UF continued its pursuit of the opening goal and earned its sixth corner kick in the 25th minute. Defender Hannah Jibril registered a shot off the ensuing corner, but Small stood tall once again to make her third save.
Florida Atlantic created its first opportunity after the hydration break, earning a corner kick. A dangerous delivery found freshman midfielder Lola Hawthorne, but she could not make solid contact, resulting in a routine save for UF goalkeeper Jayden Emmanuel.
In the 38th minute, Hess found space near the edge of the penalty area but stumbled before she could generate power on her shot, allowing Small to make her fourth save.
Fresh off a brace Thursday, senior forward Lena Bailey found space on the left side of the box following a goal kick from Emmanuel but sent her shot over the crossbar.
That was all for the opening 45 minutes, as the frustrated Gators entered halftime locked in a scoreless tie with the relieved Owls.
Florida earned another corner kick shortly after halftime, but defender Skye Barnes sent her header over the crossbar.
The breakthrough came moments later. Senior forward Kyra Taylor made a run down the right side of the box before finding Hess, who scored her first goal of the season to give the Gators the lead.
In the 51st minute, Hawthorne had another opportunity amid chaos inside Florida’s 18-yard box, but Emmanuel stepped up to make her second save.
Trailing 1-0, FAU was forced to abandon its defensive shape, opening the match for both attacks. However, it was the Owls who capitalized and found the equalizer.
In the 62nd minute, junior forward Hannah Santiago made a perfectly timed run past UF’s center-back pairing of Barnes and freshman Lael Hill before slotting the ball past Emmanuel for her fourth goal in four days. Santiago previously recorded a hat trick in FAU’s 7-0 victory over Howard on Aug. 27.
Santiago came inches away from putting FAU in front when she caught Emmanuel off her line and dribbled to her right, but Hill cleared the forward’s shot off the goal line, conceding a corner kick.
On the ensuing corner, senior defender Sydney Neira nearly gave the Owls the lead, firing a left-footed shot from the edge of the box that forced Emmanuel to dive to her right for her third save of the match.
UF later had a chance to retake the lead off a corner kick when sophomore midfielder Sophia Sindelar delivered a header, but freshman midfielder Iori Watanabe was ruled offside, resulting in a free kick for FAU.
With 15 minutes remaining, Main fired a powerful shot on goal, but Small punched it over the crossbar for a corner kick. Taylor later found space and fired a left-footed shot, but Small made another excellent save to keep the match tied.
Small made another stop in the 81st minute; UF’s 11th corner kick found Hess in the center of the box, but Small smothered her header as time continued to dwindle for the Gators.
FAU had another opportunity when Santiago fired a left-footed shot that forced Emmanuel to make a diving save. Hawthorne attempted to redirect the rebound but sent it over the crossbar.
UF’s final opportunity perfectly summed up the match from the Gators’ perspective. Hill appeared to deliver the winner with a well-placed flick-on header off a corner kick, but the ball struck the crossbar and sailed over the net.
Time expired with the teams level, forcing them to share the points in the second draw in series history.
Florida returns home on Thursday against Youngstown State (0-3-1). Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Donald R. Dizney Stadium.
Contact Zach Moore at zmoore@alligator.org. Follow him on X @zach_moore27.
Zach is a sophomore sports journalism student in his first semester at The Alligator, covering softball. He also has experience as an intern in the Florida Collegiate Summer League. Zach enjoys watching sports in his free time, primarily the Minnesota Vikings, Orlando Magic, and Arsenal FC.
