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Wednesday, December 11, 2024

Thompson scores golden goal for second straight year

If the stat line reads like this Saturday night, the Florida-Kentucky football game will be a disappointingly low-scoring affair.

But for a soccer match, No. 10 UF's 2-1 overtime win over the Wildcats had about as dramatic a finish as fans could ask for.

In the 100th minute, UF midfielder Erika Tymrak dribbled the ball into the penalty box when a Kentucky defender tackled her and was called for a foul, giving the Gators a penalty kick.

Sophomore Lindsay Thompson elected to take the kick, and she slipped a shot into the right side of the netting to give UF the win.

Kentucky goalkeeper Sydney Hiance stood frozen, as if she was not expecting Thompson to shoot so quickly.

This was the second straight overtime win for the Gators against Kentucky. UF won 3-2 after 103 minutes in 2008.

The winning goal in that game? Also off the foot of Lindsay Thompson.

It just so happened that the Gators came to practice early this week to practice penalty kicks.

UF coach Becky Burleigh said she rated each player, and Thompson graded out the highest.

On a penalty kick, any player on the team can take the shot.

Thompson said she normally lets the player who was fouled have a chance to score, but Tymrak was shook-up after the foul.

"Erika looked at me and said, 'Linds, I don't want to take it," Thompson said. "I was like, 'Ok, I'll take it.'"

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It was appropriate that Tymrak asked Thompson to take the game's deciding shot, because it seems the whole team is relying on Thompson's offense.

Thompson leads the team with six goals, including five in the seven games since senior Ashlee Elliott's injury on Aug. 30.

Friday's match was the first time she can remember shooting a penalty kick in golden-goal overtime.

Several Gators said earlier this week every SEC game gets heated, and those statements proved to be prophetic. The foul on Tymrak was not the first physical moment of the game.

Burleigh thought her team was getting fouled in the second half, and she was noticeably upset at the referee's no-call.

She received a yellow card in the 76th minute after yelling something at one of the referees. This did not calm her down, however, as she and assistant coaches Victor Campbell and Alan Kirkup jumped off the bench in the 82nd minute to confront an official.

The play they were upset about was when Lauren Hyde appeared to be foul while taking a shot at the top of the penalty box.

"It was fitting that (the game) ended on a penalty kick," Burleigh said.

When asked why her team was not as effective in the second half, Burleigh answered, "I'm not allowed to talk about the officials."

Defender Kat Williamson also was booked in the 93rd minute when she collided with Kentucky forward Giuleana Lopez as the Wildcat tried to head the ball near midfield.

The Gators came out in the first half and appeared to be the stronger team, applying constant pressure on the Wildcats. Their efforts were awarded when Thompson scored the first goal of the game in the 14th minute.

Tymrak's dribbling again proved to be the catalyst as she managed to bring the ball inside the penalty box. When a Kentucky defender finally marked Tymrak, she sent it to Thompson on the right wing.

Thompson then fired a shot on the right side of the goal - the same area she scored the game-winner - which Hiance could not handle and the ball snuck into the net.

The goal gave Tymrak her first assist on the season. Since the beginning of the year, the freshman has shown incredible ball control.

Of the many times she has brought the ball inside the penalty box, however, Tymrak had never made a pass to give another player a good opportunity.

The coaches have worked with Tymrak on recognizing when to pass to her teammates, Burleigh said.

"We've discussed where to take people on and where to look to play people one-two, and I thought she did a terrific job on making that decision on that goal," Birleigh said.

Kentucky forward Giuleana Lopez scored the Wildcats' only goal in the 57th minute. She saved the ball from going out of bounds on the right touchline, then passed it behind her to Stefani Kildare who found Lopez again in front of the penalty box.

Lopez was the center of attention in last year's Kentucky-Florida matchup after she scored and did a mock gator chomp. She said earlier this week she thought her celebration last year motivated the Gators and helped them come back to win.

She only briefly celebrated after scoring this season, opting to bury her head in her jersey instead of stir the Gators.

UF goalkeeper Katie Fraine's play was key Friday. Although the Gators outshot Kentucky 21-5, the Wildcats had a few good opportunities and could have stolen the game.

Lopez intercepted a pass between UF defenders and dribbled unmarked inside the penalty box in the 74th minute. Fraine came out of the goal and made a great slide tackle to take the ball off Lopez's foot.

UK forward Laura Novikoff also ripped a shot from 22 yards out in the 94th minute. The ball traveled left to right, and Fraine made a diving save to keep UF alive.

"My feet went, my arms extend; I didn't even have to think about it," Fraine said. "I was actually kind of surprised I caught it more so than I saved it, because I felt as I was pushing off that I was going to save it."

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