Following a historic victory over Florida State on Sunday, head coach Nick Zimmerman’s message was clear: the focus is on the next game.
“Again, they’re a really, really good team, and a lot of credit goes to them,” Zimmerman said. “Still, it’s only one game. Like I said, we’ll enjoy this one, then get ready for Jacksonville.”
The road doesn’t get any easier for Florida soccer against Jacksonville University (1-0-1). Ranked for the first time since 2019, the Gators must quickly refocus if they hope to sustain their early success.
It’s a tale of two contrasting styles: Florida’s explosive, high-powered offense against Jacksonville’s stifling defense. The Gators have scored three goals in each of their first three matches, while the Dolphins have yet to concede a goal this season.
The Dolphins opened their campaign with a 2-0 victory over Miami on Aug. 12. Freshman forward Ula Omerzu led the way with three shots and the opening goal, earning ASUN Player of the Week honors for her performance.
The Slovenia native has quickly emerged as Jacksonville’s primary attacking option. She added four shots in a scoreless draw against Georgia Southern.
Omerzu wasn’t the only Dolphin honored following the Miami victory. Senior defender Millie Urquhart was named the ASUN Defensive Player of the Week after playing more than 69 minutes and helping Jacksonville limit the Hurricanes to two shots on goal.
The victory also marked Jacksonville’s first against a Power Four opponent since 2000.
While Florida forward Kyra Taylor and goalkeeper Jayden Emmanuel earned SEC weekly honors, Jacksonville junior goalkeeper Taylor Gardner was named the ASUN Goalkeeper of the Week after recording consecutive clean sheets.
The Dolphins are the only team in the conference that has not conceded a goal this season, and Gardner has played a major role in that success. The Grand Canyon transfer has already established a career high with six saves through two matches. She has also played 180 minutes, surpassing her combined playing time from the previous two seasons.
Florida holds a 5-0 all-time record against Jacksonville, though the programs last met nearly 11 years ago on Sept. 13, 2015. The Gators have conceded only two goals in the series, both of which came in a 6-2 victory in the teams’ first meeting on Sept. 14, 2003.
“They’re extremely well-coached and have already earned some good results this season,” Zimmerman said. “Their shape and the number of international players they have will force us to solve problems throughout the match. It’ll be different from some of our other games and create new challenges, so we have to be incredibly focused, locked in and communicative.”
Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday 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.
