After going undefeated in its last seven matches, the Florida Gators soccer team walked into LSU Soccer Stadium looking for momentum heading into the 2025 SEC Soccer Tournament.
However, Florida’s offensive struggles continued, as it was outshot 19-10 in the match. The team also surrendered four goals, marking the most this regular season since Aug. 14 against No. 11 Florida State.
The Gators (6-6-5, 2-3-5 SEC) fell against the LSU Tigers (10-5-3, 5-2-3 SEC) 4-1 Sunday in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to close out the regular season.
With the offense stagnant in the second half and down 2-0, Florida needed a spark to get back into the match.
Enter redshirt junior forward Tatum O’Coyne. At the 64-minute mark, she received a pass from freshman forward Kai Tsakiris in front of the goal. O’Coyne chipped the ball to the bottom right of the net, notching her second goal of the season and putting the Gators within one score.
Florida had an opportune look to tie the match eight minutes later, but Tsakiris’ shot was saved on a leaping effort from LSU senior goalkeeper Sophine Kevorkian, who finished with four saves.
However, LSU forward Ava Gilligan stuck the dagger into Florida’s hope for a comeback, scoring her second goal of the match at minute 77. Freshman midfielder Gadea Blanco González followed six minutes later with a goal of her own, finding the back of the net with her right foot to make it a 4-1 game.
The Tigers’ offense was on the prowl early, taking them just 58 seconds to get on the scoreboard first. Redshirt junior defender Kelsey Major found freshman forward Sariyah Bailey in front of the goal, who converted with her right foot to the back of the net, securing an early 1-0 advantage.
LSU had an opportunity to extend its lead at minute 7, but graduate forward Morgan Witz fired to UF redshirt sophomore goalie Paloma Peña, who blocked the shot. The two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Week winner finished with nine saves.
The Tigers earned another strong look ten minutes later, but the shot from sophomore midfielder Ava Amsden was saved at the bottom center of the net by Peña.
The Gators didn’t earn a shot attempt until minute 22, with Tsakiris firing from outside the box, but she missed to the left of the net. They had another look at the 37-minute mark, but junior forward Lena Bailey fired to the chest of Kevorkian.
Sophomore defender Abby Gemma had a chance three minutes later, but it was once again saved by Kevorkian, sending Florida into halftime down a goal.
LSU kept all of its momentum coming out of halftime, with Galligan scoring her first goal just 24 seconds into the second half. She dribbled around the right side of the field and fired to the bottom left of the goal, giving the Tigers a 2-0 advantage.
Despite O’Coyne’s goal to get UF within one, the Tigers scored two unanswered goals in the last 15 minutes to put the game away. LSU’s defense held strong and left the field with its largest margin of victory in SEC play.
Now, the Gators will wait to see who they face in the SEC tournament, which takes place from Nov. 2 to Nov. 9 at the Ashton Brosnaham Soccer Complex in Pensacola, Florida.
Contact Adrian Carmona at acarmona@alligator.org. Follow him on Twitter @abcarmona04.
Adrian is a senior journalism major and the soccer reporter for Fall 2025. He enjoys playing Sporcle quizzes and ranting about South Florida sports.
