Finally, there's been an Ameera Abdullah sighting.
After a quiet season offensively, it appears the preseason first-team All-Southeastern Conference player is regaining her 2006 form.
Abdullah scored two goals in UF?s 4-1 win over Georgia in the SEC title game.
It was the first multiple-score game of the year for the junior, who finished the regular season with just two scores.
The third-seeded Gators open the NCAA Tournament at 7 tonight against Miami, and Abdullah is expected to play a major role offensively.
UF features three players who have scored at least seven goals this season.
If Abdullah can recapture the offensive aggression she displayed in her sophomore season when she scored 11 goals, it would make the Gators even tougher to defend.
BOn any given day, anyone can score,C forward Ashlee Elliott said. BShana (Hudson) scored, I?ve scored, Lauren Hyde?s scored. Honestly, you can?t scout this team, because we?re all capable of scoring and we can score from anywhere on the field.
BAmeera scoring is an awesome thing. I?m glad she got those goals because if she takes it into the NCAAs, she could be unstoppable.C
In a way, it seems Abdullah?s season is just beginning.
The Denver native injured her left peroneal tendon in the third match of the season against South Florida.
The injury caused Abdullah to miss the Gators? next four matches.
Though she returned to the lineup, Abdullah never regained the explosiveness that made her so dangerous.
She didn?t score her first goal of the season until Oct. 21 in a match against Alabama.
Following Sunday?s outburst, Abdullah feels she?s fully recovered from her injury.
BIt?s a real confidence booster,C Abdullah said. BI?ve obviously been pretty average this year and having that type of game kind of sends me back to the level I?m used to playing at. I definitely like how I?m playing now.C
After missing four games and multiple practices, Abdullah had to re-adjust to the speed of the game.
She readily admits her reactions were slower than in prior seasons.
BMy reaction to a lot of things was slower,C Abdullah said. BMy preparation for when a ball got sent to me was a little behind. And how comfortable I was with my body and my ankle wasn?t the strongest, so I was cautious when I got the ball.C
Abdullah?s return to form could be a deciding factor for a team hungry to stay alive this weekend.
UF is currently on a 12-game winning streak, despite getting little production from Abdullah offensively.
Adding her to the mix may put the team over the top, and UF coach Becky Burleigh appears excited by that.
BShe?s been playing well for us,C Burleigh said. BShe hasn?t been scoring as much, but she?s been doing other things. For her to get on the board offensively makes us that more dangerous of a team. And if you look at who scored for us on Sunday, it?s the big three in terms of our offense, Ameera, Stacy (Bishop) and KeLeigh (Hudson). I think that?s a pretty intimidating group for us.C
