After a two-hour rain delay, Florida kicked off its first home game in the Nick Zimmerman era on Thursday. The first half of the match followed a familiar script from the loss against Central Florida on Aug. 13, with the Gators jumping out to a 2-0 lead before Coastal Carolina battled back. However, unlike in the opener, UF fought through adversity to regain the lead and secure its first win under Zimmerman.
Mirroring their performance in last week’s opener against UCF, the Gators outshot the Chanticleers by seven in the first half, 9-2. Despite controlling the match early, Florida entered the break tied at 2-2.
Florida dominated the second half and finally broke through in the 76th minute. Sophomore defender Katie Johnston found space in the box and curled a left-footed shot top bins to put the Gators ahead 3-2.
“Our coaches have been telling me all game to just shoot the ball and not let the outcome define our identity and how we're gonna play, and I think we just proved that tonight,” Johnston said.
The go-ahead goal was enough as Florida (1-1) defeated Coastal Carolina (1-1) 3-2 at Donald R. Dizney Stadium. The victory marked the 700th game in program history and the first win for Zimmerman in Gainesville.
“Anytime you have a first, it’s always exciting,” Zimmerman said. “I try to give that to the players and the staff. They’ve worked really hard, and it’s certainly something special.”
Florida had its first real chance of the contest in the ninth minute when redshirt sophomore forward Addy Hess appeared to be through on goal, but her shot deflected off a defender and went wide of the Chanticleers’ goal.
Senior forward Kyra Taylor entered the match in the 16th minute and quickly made her presence felt. She recorded Florida’s first two shots in the 19th and 21st minutes, respectively.
Moments later, Taylor found the breakthrough and fired a shot into the back of the net to put the Gators ahead 1-0.
The Mississippi State transfer was just getting started. In the 33rd minute, Johnston found Taylor in space, and she took advantage, curling a left-footed shot into the bottom-right corner to extend Florida’s lead to 2-0.
“It felt really good to see us get into the final third and attacking half and be able to move the ball around and create chances,” Taylor said.
It was all Gators for much of the first half as Florida outshot Coastal Carolina 9-0 through the first 30 minutes. However, the Chanticleers’ first shot of the match found the back of the net. Freshman defender Ava Rodriguez, who had also just entered the match, pulled Coastal Carolina within one.
The Chanticleers found their equalizer in the 44th minute after Florida goalkeeper Paloma Peña was caught off her line. The redshirt junior’s mistake allowed Coastal Carolina’s Olivia Lawrence to tap the ball into an open net and tie the match 2-2.
In the second half, the Gators once again dominated possession and created two quality chances 10 minutes in. Coastal Carolina goalkeeper Aris Lamanna saved senior forward Zoe Main’s shot and freshman Mia Gray curled a right-footed shot that struck the crossbar just seconds later.
In the 64th minute, the Chanticleers created an opportunity by earning a corner kick. A wild sequence in the box following the corner eventually ended with a shot from freshman Lily Bella that was saved by backup goalkeeper Jayden Emmanuel.
Taylor showcased her strength once again when she found Main through on goal, but the Texas native’s shot was saved by Lamanna.
The Gators’ defense held firm for the remainder of the match, securing Zimmerman’s first victory with Florida.
The Gators return to action Sunday in a rivalry match against No. 3 Florida State (3-0). Kickoff is scheduled for 2 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.
