One sign of a good team is being able to win, even when not playing very well.
Friday night was evidence for that as the UF soccer team ousted No. 18 Illinois 2-0, despite not being in sync offensively.
The win was UF's second straight against a top-20 team.
"I really didn't think we played very well tonight," UF coach Becky Burleigh said. "So to be able to not play very well and win against a ranked opponent is a good thing."
With three of its next four matches against ranked teams, the No. 17 Gators (4-1-1) will gladly accept the win but know much needs to improve before their next match.
Senior midfielder Ameera Abdullah, who recorded an assist in the victory, said UF needed to take control of possession more to prevent Illinois (4-2) from having extra chances.
"Not a lot of teams, I think, can (win) sometimes, especially when they're not playing their best game," Abdullah said. "But it's pretty surprising, considering we are a young team."
UF went through a defensive struggle in the first half. The Gators allowed the Illini to control possession and did not get many good scoring opportunities.
But, led by two freshmen, the Gators stormed out after halftime, recording two goals in the first 10 minutes of the second half.
Freshman midfielder Sarah Chapman put UF on the board off a corner kick by Abdullah, picking up the first goal of her college career.
Abdullah sent the ball into the front of the box on a low left-footed line drive, and Chapman's shot grazed the bottom of the crossbar, bouncing straight up and down into the goal.
"When I saw that ball, I put my head down and just smacked it," Chapman said. "I was thrilled. I was breath-taken."
Just a little more than six minutes later, freshman forward Tahnai Annis continued her fast-paced start to the season by adding yet another goal, the fourth in the first six games of her college career.
"Yeah, it's always still a surprise (when I score)," Annis said. "Even if I have (scored) before, it's just as good every time."
Since its only loss to Central Florida, UF has outscored its opponents 9-1 and has locked down defensively.
Despite what Burleigh called a "mediocre" performance , the Gators did not allow a goal for the second game in a row, this time with sophomore Meghan Berlingo in the box.
Illinois did not have any second half shots until about 12 minutes remaining, but Burleigh was disappointed in the number of chances they got after that point.
"We knew that it would be a real missed opportunity if that game ended up 0-0 or worse, despite the way we were playing," Burleigh said. "We know we're going to be facing an even tougher team on Friday (at No. 6) Portland, and we've got to play a lot better than we did tonight in order to beat them."
