Heading into Sunday, it was a matchup of two contrasting styles of play: a high-powered attack against a lethal shutdown defense.
Wake Forest had yet to concede a goal this season, while Florida had scored at least two goals in all but one of its matches.
Down 1-0 in the 54th minute, Florida had yet to record a shot on goal, and time was slowly ticking away as the Gators searched for an equalizer. But a crucial defensive mistake changed everything.
Sophomore defender Tatum Borman took a daring shot from outside the box. It appeared to be a routine save for Wake Forest goalkeeper Valentina Amaral, but she mishandled the attempt, allowing the ball to trickle into the net and tie the match at 1-1.
It was the first goal the Demon Deacons had conceded this season, and Florida suddenly had momentum.
But it quickly vanished in the 80th minute. Freshman Lael Hill committed a late challenge in the box, resulting in a Wake Forest penalty kick. Defender and captain Sierra Sythe stepped up to take the spot kick and buried it, putting the Demon Deacons ahead 2-1.
The redshirt junior has now scored in four consecutive matches, marking her first multi-goal game of the campaign.
No. 21 Florida (4-2-1) was unable to find an answer, falling 2-1 to No. 5 Wake Forest (7-0) on Sunday at Donald R. Dizney Stadium. The loss marked Florida’s first at home this season.
Wake Forest applied continuous pressure and held possession for most of the first 15 minutes. In the 14th minute, it found the opener. Wake Forest earned the first corner of the match, and from the ensuing cross, Sythe had a perfect look at the goal and buried her shot with her right foot past the diving effort of Florida redshirt senior goalkeeper Jayden Emmanuel.
It was the earliest goal that UF had allowed this season and Sythe’s team-high fourth goal.
In the 20th minute, forward Allie Flanagan nearly put Wake Forest ahead 2-0 when she broke through on the left side and dribbled around Florida’s last defender, Hill. However, she pushed her shot wide left of the Gators’ goal, resulting in a goal kick.
Flanagan led the Demon Deacons in the victory with three shots.
By the hydration break, it was evident Florida had run into a brick wall and needed to make adjustments if it was going to get past the Demon Deacons’ backline.
In the 30th minute, Florida had its first real chance to equalize. Sophomore midfielder Sophia Sindelar made an impressive run down the right side of the 18-yard box before sending a pass into the middle for Borman. But Borman got underneath the ball and sent her shot over the goal.
With the heat index above 100 degrees, the conditions favored Wake Forest’s defense early on. But everything nearly changed with five minutes remaining in the half.
Senior forward Zoe Main’s shot was blocked in the box, prompting a VAR review for a potential handball by Wake Forest. After review, however, there was no indisputable evidence that the hand was in an unnatural position, leaving Florida fans in attendance loudly booing and disagreeing with the call.
By halftime, Florida had outshot Wake Forest 5-4 but had yet to record a shot on target.
Out of the break, Florida’s attack nearly tied the match when Main sent a ball across the box, but it narrowly missed the diving foot of senior forward Kyra Taylor, who had an open net in front of her after Amaral came off her line.
Florida’s relentless press continued, but Wake Forest’s backline did an incredible job of forcing the Gators into offside positions, with three offsides recorded by the 54th minute.
After Borman’s equalizer, Florida flipped the script from the first 45 minutes as it was now controlling possession and methodically working its way up the pitch.
In the 65th minute, senior forward Montalene Dymond fired a shot at Amaral, who made a punch-out save that fell to Sindelar outside the box. Sindelar sent the ensuing shot over the goal.
However, the late penalty sealed Florida’s fate as it finished nonconference play with a 4-2-1 record.
““I’m really proud of this group,” Zimmerman said. “I can’t stress that enough. These are the ones that sting, but that’s good.”
Florida begins Southeastern Conference play on Thursday against No. 20 South Carolina (5-1). Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Eugene E. Stone III Stadium.
Contact Zach Moore at zmoore@alligator.org. Follow him on X at @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.
