For the second straight game to start the season, Gators soccer experienced a weather delay during a match.
However, the delay didn’t stop Florida from taking the field for their home opener against Towson on Thursday night at Donald R. Dizney Stadium.
Three Gators scored their first career goals as Florida (1-1) defeated Towson (1-1) 4-2 to kick off the Gators’ three-game homestand.
“This team has never been short of heart,” head coach Samantha Bohon said. “So we’re just trying to build game by game and hopefully put out a better performance each day.”
Both teams had opportunities to strike within the first 10 minutes of action. At the 7th minute, Towson earned the first corner attempt of the match, and it led to three shot attempts on goal.
Sophomore midfielder Emma Levin logged two shots of her own. The first was blocked by redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Paloma Peña, who sprawled out for the save. Levin’s second shot was off target towards the top right of the net. Junior midfielder Sydney Feiler had the next attempt, but it was off target to the left of the net.
Just two minutes later, the Gators got their first two shot attempts. Redshirt senior midfielder Charlotte McClure had an open look, but her shot bounced off the left goal post. Florida sophomore defender Abby Gemma then attempted a header that landed out of bounds to the right of the goal.
At the 10th minute, a whistle was blown in the middle of play, signaling both teams that a weather delay was in effect. The stoppage lasted two hours before play resumed.
Towson just needed nine minutes after the delay to strike first. Graduate forward Kale’a Perry found Feiler who finished to the top left of the net to make it a 1-0 match.
The Gators had another strong chance to tie just four minutes later, but McClure’s shot missed out left.
Florida earned another good look at the 28th minute, but the shot from redshirt junior forward Tatum O’Coyne’s shot missed out left.
However, the Gators just needed one more attempt to even the score. In the 30th minute, freshman forward Katie Johnston took the first shot of her college career and found the top right of the net to tie the match 1-1.
“I knew I had to make a difference,” Johnston said. “I had no choice but to, because we had to win this game to achieve the goals we want to achieve.”
Just two minutes later, senior forward Njeri Butts also scored her first collegiate goal, finding the bottom left of the net to give Florida their first lead of the match.
“It was really exciting,” she said. “I hope there’s more to come.”
But, Towson responded in the 41st minute, as Perry found the bottom center of the goal to even the match 2-2. Florida had an open look at the end of the half, but freshman midfielder Sophia Sindelar’s shot was saved by redshirt sophomore goalie Teagan Gardener, keeping the game tied 2-2 going into halftime.
Shot attempts were hard to come by for both teams to start the second half. Perry created an open look at the 52 minute mark, but it was saved at the bottom left of the net by Florida redshirt junior goalkeeper Jayden Emmanuel.
However, the Gators struck gold first in the second half. Johnston got behind the defense and found the bottom left of the goal for her second score of the game to give Florida the 3-2 lead at the 56 minute mark.
“That doesn’t surprise anybody on the Gator sideline,” she said. “It was just nice to see it connect.”
Redshirt freshman forward Addy Hess had a chance to extend the lead at the 59 minute mark, but her shot went just over the crossbar.
McClure had another chance at the 66th minute mark, but her shot was saved by Gardner.
However, the miss led to a corner attempt from Johnston. Her pass found sophomore defender Skye Barnes, who hit a header to the left side of the goal to extend the Gator lead to two goals. It was also her first collegiate goal.
“I’m pretty tall, so it wasn’t too hard to get to the ball,” she said. “It was just exhilarating having all my teammates around with me.”
The Gators dominated possession from there on out, suffocating Towson’s offense in the second half and holding on for their first win of the season.
“We’ve been really intentional about just staying in the present,” said Bohon. “Our most important thing is getting refueled and recovering.”
Florida will be back in action against North Florida at 7 p.m. Sunday at Donald R. Dizney Stadium.
Contact Adrian Carmona at acarmona@alligator.org. Follow him on Twitter @abcarmona04.
Adrian Carmona is a third-year journalism major and the Summer 2025 baseball reporter. In his spare time, he enjoys completing Sporcle quizzes and ranting about Miami sports.
