Florida soccer is on a two-game skid, hitting a brutal patch right as conference play kicked off against two nationally ranked opponents. It’s a tough pill to swallow when you’re facing top-tier teams back-to-back, and the Gators have fallen in both. This program has an eight-day window to clean things up before their next match, and believe me, they need it.
When Good Chances Go to Die: Wake Forest Delivers a Gut Punch
First up, the No. 5 Wake Forest Demon Deacons rolled through, and Florida had so many chances to get it done. Tatum Borman, the sophomore, netted a goal in the 58th minute to knot it at 1-1, and for a minute, you felt that energy building. But then, in the 80th minute, Wake Forest gets a penalty kick and skates by with a 2-1 win. Absolutely brutal, right? What stings even more is Florida was the *only* team to score on Wake Forest up to that point. Head Coach Nick Zimmerman was super proud of the squad, saying they created a ton of chances and dominated for long stretches against a team that made the College Cup two years ago and brought back almost everyone. He called it “cruel” sometimes, and you gotta agree. They wanted these challenges, and they certainly got one.
SEC Opener Goes Sideways Against South Carolina
Then came the SEC opener, on the road against No. 19 South Carolina, and what was supposed to be a big statement ended in a minimal 1-0 defeat. Reese Slater from South Carolina scored the only goal in the 40th minute. Florida, who had a 19-9-4 all-time record in SEC openers, almost tied it before halftime when Zoe Main’s shot literally clipped the crossbar. Can you imagine the frustration? They kept pushing, ripping off four shots in the final 20 seconds, but South Carolina’s goalie Christina Tsaousis was a brick wall, coming up with huge saves. Nothing went their way in the second half, sealing the loss to a conference rival. Zimmerman acknowledged it’s always a tough place to play and South Carolina just doesn’t give up many goals.
It’s a tough stretch, with a grueling conference schedule still ahead that includes three ranked teams. Florida will regroup now, with eight days to prepare for Mississippi State on the road. They need to flip the switch then because after that, they finally return home. Get ready, because the schedule isn’t letting up.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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