Heading into Sunday, Florida has done all the right things through its first three Southeastern Conference matches, but has come up short to start league play, setting up the Gators for a long-awaited win.
That is exactly what transpired Sunday, as Florida (5-3-3, 1-1-2 SEC) cruised to a 5-2 victory over Texas A&M (4-7, 0-3 SEC) at Ellis Field in College Station.
Conference play has been a series of shots on target that haven’t fallen in the Gators’ favor, and that trend continued out of the gate.
Freshman midfielder Mia Gray found space on the edge of the 18-yard box and fired a daring shot with her left foot. Her attempt deflected off the crossbar and fell to senior forward Kyra Taylor, whose follow-up shot was punched over the net by Texas A&M goalkeeper Adelaide Paredes.
The positive start sparked confidence in the Gators, and it was evident an opening goal was coming soon. This time, the Gators broke through.
Redshirt senior forward Kelsey Smith delivered a magnificent cross into the Texas A&M box, and freshman defender Lael Hill executed a brilliant flick-on header past Paredes to give Florida a 1-0 lead 13 minutes into the contest.
The moment was significant for both players. Smith recorded her first assist as a Gator after spending four years at Maryland, while Hill scored the first goal of her young career and continued to emerge as a key contributor for Florida.
The Gators kept their foot on the gas, and a defensive miscue by Aggies defender Ava Sexton allowed Florida to extend its lead. Taylor intercepted Sexton’s pass and dribbled around Paredes before finding the back of the net for her sixth goal of the season.
In the 29th minute, Texas A&M’s Ireland Churchill nearly cut into the deficit, but her shot sailed wide left of the Florida goal.
The Aggies struggled to maintain possession, and with Florida leading by two, the game opened up, and the Gators took advantage.
Sophomore midfielder Sophia Sindelear made two impressive dribbles before firing a shot off the post that deflected off and into the net. The goal marked her first as a Gator and gave Florida a 3-0 lead.
Two minutes later, senior forward Lena Bailey found space on the right side of the box and passed to defender Katie Johnston, who had an open net in front of her. Johnston calmly finished the chance for her third goal of the season.
Texas A&M struggled to generate much offensively, and by halftime, the Aggies were visibly frustrated. The Gators went into the break with nine shots and their most goals in a half this season, a performance that had been long overdue.
The goal barrage marked the most Florida has scored in a half of an SEC match since the 2020 SEC Tournament against Kentucky, when the Gators scored four goals in the second half of a 6-5 overtime victory.
The Gators’ performance in the first 45 minutes prompted the Aggies to make multiple substitutions.
In the 57th minute, Taylor found a loose ball in the box and finished the chance for her third brace of the year.
Five minutes after Florida’s fifth goal, Sindelar conceded a penalty kick. Senior midfielder Trinity Buchanan converted the spot kick, cutting the deficit to 5-1.
In the 70th minute, Aggies sophomore defender Norah Bell made an incredible solo run, nutmegging Gators senior defender Hannah Jibril, allowing her to pass it to freshman forward Morgan Landry, who then scored her first collegiate goal.
With 15 minutes to go, the Aggies were the ones who were applying pressure, leading to a dangerous challenge from junior defender Skye Barnes resulting in the only yellow card of the match.
But the Aggies were unable to get back into the contest as Florida secured its first three points of conference play.
The Gators return home Friday to face Louisiana State (2-8-1, 0-3 SEC). Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Donald R. Dizney Stadium.
Contact Zach Moore at zmoore@alligator.org. Follow him on X @zach_moore27.
Zach is a junior sports journalism student in his third semester at The Alligator. He currently covers soccer for the Fall 2026 season after previously serving as the softball reporter. Zach also has experience as a play-by-play broadcaster in the Florida Collegiate Summer League for the Winter Garden Squeeze. In his free time, Zach enjoys going to the gym and watching sports, especially his favorite teams: the Minnesota Vikings, Arsenal FC, Houston Astros, Orlando Magic and Orlando City SC. A fun fact about Zach is that he is also an avid WWE fan.
