When a team scores seven goals in one weekend, it's clear that the offense is doing something right.
For the No. 16 Gators, that something has been getting more people in the penalty box.
"When you have four or five people in the box, you're bound to have someone open or at least have some confusion and chaos," UF coach Becky Burleigh said.
This was evident as all seven of the scores occurred from inside of the box, and multiple were on second chances.
The offense finally started to look in sync this past weekend, and it came at the perfect time as the Gators began conference play.
Burleigh expressed displeasure with UF's attack for most of the season. The coach tossed a few praises to the team's recent scoring onslaught.
"We have been keeping a stat for certain positions for the number of times they get in the box, and since we have been keeping the stat, they have been real accountable to it," Burleigh said. "That type of accountability has helped us."
Besides the newfound responsibility shown in the wins against Georgia and Tennessee, the offense received a boost from senior midfielder Ameera Abdullah.
Abdullah entered the season as the Gators' most proven offensive threat. She showed this by scoring in the opening match at Colorado, but has failed to cross the goal line again until putting two in the net against the Volunteers on Sunday.
For most of the match against Tennessee, she had a defender whose main purpose was to mark her.
"Tennessee decided to man-on-man her, and I would like every team to man-on-man her if she is going to do that," Burleigh said.
While one of the team's captains finally had the big game expected of her, another struggled for the first time this year.
Junior defender Lauren Hyde overcommitted herself a few times and got beat on a couple of attacks Sunday.
One of the times she got beat she shoved a Volunteers player in the back while in the penalty box, which resulted in a penalty kick and the only goal for them.
The mistakes were very out of character for the All-American, who has been the main reason for the strong play of the young defense early in the season.
"There are times when she probably tries to do a little too much because she is with a little bit of an inexperienced backline compared to last year, so maybe she tries to take on more responsibility," Burleigh said. "But she has plenty of times saved us in tight situations."
Despite playing poorly, she flashed a moment of brilliance by recovering from getting beaten, saving a shot on the empty net and preserving the 1-0 Gators' lead at the time.
