The ranked opponent was defeated by the Gator soccer team for the first time in five years. at Donald R. Dizeny Stadium on Friday evening. The (4-3-5) Gators defeated No. 22 Texas, 2-1, and showered head coach Samantha Bohon with Gatorade.
Since October 6, 2019, it is the first win over a ranked opponent.
Florida’s corner kick to start the second minute gave the Gators a boost. Lauren Donovan leaped up and fired a header into the net, and Daviana Vaka was spot on. Donovan scores her first goal in her three years as a college student, and UF now leads 1-0.
Texas managed just one shot in the first half while Florida had a 1-0 lead at the intermission.
In the 66th minute, Donovan found herself in a position to score a game-winning goal, as the Gators continued to build momentum.
The (9-2-2) Longhorns were unable to aim or locate their timing. Texas did not score until the 78th minute and had 11 offside penalties.
To the delight of almost 1,400 spectators, the Gators won their first SEC game of the season.
“This was due as we’ve been playing pretty well all season,” Bohon remarked. Simply put, not many bounces have gone our way.
We were eager to return home as a result. Another record crowd turned up tonight, proving that having Gator Nation on our side does indeed make a difference. I was genuinely pleased with our team’s resilience. We just managed to prevail tonight despite the first half appearing somewhat differently from the second.
Next Thursday, the Gators travel to play South Carolina before hosting Georgia and Vanderbilt.
