Riding the momentum of a dominant 5-2 win over Texas A&M on Sunday, the Gators (5-3-3, 1-1-2 SEC) return home looking to earn another three points in conference play.
Heading to Donald R. Dizney Stadium on Friday, the Louisiana State Tigers (2-8-2, 0-3-1 SEC) look to get back on track after a string of recent struggles.
In addition to Friday night’s showdown at the Diz, Florida will celebrate its annual Kick for a Cure match, and head coach Nick Zimmerman and the Gators are excited to support a meaningful cause on the pitch — the fight against cancer.
“It’s a tremendous cause, and we’ve had quite a few players in our group who have been impacted by it,” Zimmerman said.
Despite LSU’s struggles to begin the 2026 season, the Tigers were ranked in the top 25 in the preseason following a 15-6-4 campaign in 2025 that ended with a 1-0 loss to Vanderbilt in the Sweet Sixteen.
LSU has also faced the toughest schedule among SEC teams, ranking No. 7 nationally.
The Tigers and Gators faced two common opponents during nonconference play and produced similar results. LSU opened its season Aug. 12 with a 2-1 road loss to Wake Forest, the same score Florida suffered in its loss to the Demon Deacons on Sept. 6 in Gainesville.
LSU also hosted UCF on Aug. 20 and lost, mirroring Florida’s result against the Knights.
Following its match against UCF, LSU went on a four-game winless streak and has opened conference play 0-3-1. Its only two victories this season came against Northwestern State and Miami (Ohio)
Head coach Sian Hudson entered her seventh year at the helm of LSU and signed a contract extension in January following the Tigers’ historic Sweet Sixteen run. Under her leadership, LSU has made five consecutive NCAA Tournaments but is in danger of seeing that streak end this season.
During her tenure, Hudson has had 10 players go on to play soccer at the next level. Before arriving in Baton Rouge, Hudson spent 20 years coaching and led the University of Colorado Colorado Springs to a 52-10-4 record over three seasons.
During her playing career, Hudson represented the Wales national team and earned three senior-level caps.
On the pitch, senior forward Ava Galligan leads the Tigers’ attack and was a 2025 All-SEC first-team selection. Last season, she led LSU with 11 goals, including six game-winners.
This season, Galligan has gotten off to a slower start with four goals, but she still leads the Tigers’ scoring.
LSU also received a key player back from international duty in sophomore forward Sariyah Bailey. Bailey missed seven matches while representing Canada at the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland. She started in four of Canada’s matches.
In her first game back at LSU, Bailey wasted no time scoring her first goal of the season. She found the back of the net in the 37th minute against Oklahoma on Sept. 24.
Despite the strong play of Galligan and Bailey, the Tigers just earned their first point in conference play against Georgia on Sunday.
Heading into Friday’s match, Florida’s offense finally found a breakthrough with five goals against Texas A&M. That recent explosion may have awakened a sleeping giant.
The Gators have had 13 different goal scorers this season, which leads the SEC, and Zimmerman said his group has been multidimensional throughout the year.
“We’re big into the data,” Zimmerman said. “They provide us with certain metrics that we look for, and it’s a group that’s fully bought in. They’re committed. They enjoy scoring goals. They enjoy going forward, and we’re excited for them.”
It’s no secret that senior forwards Kyra Taylor and Zoe Main have been facilitators of the Gators’ attack, accounting for 57 of Florida’s 195 total shots. The duo has finally found its stride in SEC play, with Main scoring the equalizer against Texas on Sept. 24 and Taylor recording her third brace of the season in the victory over Texas A&M.
Kickoff on Friday is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Donald R. Dizney Stadium.
“You throw the records right out the window because they’re a team with some incredible individual athletes and footballers.” Zimmerman said. “They’re extremely well-coached, and they basically bring back the majority of the group they had from last year’s special run.”
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.
