A five-minute span of offense was all it took for Florida to win the game.
Goals in the 52nd and 57th minutes sealed the second victory of the season for UF at Corbett Stadium in Tampa.
In the 15th minute, Florida redshirt junior Parker Roberts sprinted stride-for-stride with USF striker Evelyne Viens. Roberts and goalkeeper Susi Espinoza were the only Gators in Viens’ way.
Viens worked a favorable angle against Roberts and shot an excellent right-footed strike toward the far left side of the net. It appeared to be a sure goal, but Espinoza got low enough just in time. A fingertip reach pushed the shot wide left, causing it to roll harmlessly out of bounds.
That strike, a threatening corner kick and a free kick from Florida (2-0) were the only legitimate scoring opportunities in the first half of the match against USF (1-1).
The lack of goals from the Gators seems to permeate from 2018. Their attack struggled last season, including one stretch of six straight matches without a goal. The first half against a first-time starting goalkeeper, freshman Katrina Haarman, showed more of the same.
To start the second half, Espinoza continued to have an excellent game with two impressive saves to keep it even. After the second save, UF stopped the Bulls’ ensuing corner kick and pushed it back quickly, giving Canadian national team player Deanne Rose and redshirt junior defender Kit Loferski a two-on-two counterattack chance.
Rose drew the defender and the goalkeeper to the left side of the 6-yard box and then played it across to Loferski. A beautifully timed pass allowed Loferski — who missed all of 2018 due to a left ACL tear — to place the ball into a wide-open net to score the first goal.
Then, in the 57th minute, Rose got on the scoreboard herself with a 10-yard strike to make it 2-0. It was an admirable weekend overall for Rose, as she had three goals in two matches.
Finding the net multiple times in the second half against No. 18 USF is a necessary boost for a team heading into a tough stretch. Florida’s next three games come against teams ranked in the top-5. The Gators will hit the road to take on No. 5 Southern California, No. 4 UCLA and No. 1 Florida State.
Follow Graham Marsh on Twitter @GrahamMarshUF. Contact him at Gmarsh@alligator.org.
UF soccer will continue its road stint with three upcoming matchups against top-5 opponents.
