Midfielders Havana Solaun and Annie Speese’s chemistry bodes well for Florida’s offense.
With a seasonopening weekend that turned the spotlight on freshman Savannah Jordan and her record-breaking five goals, the traditional Florida soccer style over the past two years seemed like a thing of the past.
However, the juniors showed their tenacity and experience when they took the field against Oklahoma State on Sunday, grabbing two goals and two assists in a 2-0 victory.
Solaun and Speese are not strangers to the give-and-go play they demonstrated Sunday — the two have found each other to complete three goals in the past two years.
Two of those goals came during their freshman year, one against Southeastern Conference opponent Kentucky and the other a cushion goal to help the Gators to a 7-2 victory against Kansas.
“Those two always pair up when you’re doing any type of small group exercises,” coach Becky Burleigh said.
“They have great chemistry together because they not only play together in the 11 v. 11 games, but they’re always playing together in practice.”
Solaun and Speese’s bond off the field plays a role in their ability to find each other in the right place at the right time.
Sunday’s pair of goals came because of consistent communication between the two.
“I always know [Solaun is] going to be looking for the ball, so I just laid it off to her right foot and she put it away,” Speese said.
Burleigh added: “[Speese and Solaun] do a terrific job of reading each other.
“They both have great soccer minds so they understand what’s going to happen before it happens.”
Sunday’s matchup was just a sample of what the two have been doing for the team for three years.
Solaun was tied with then-senior Jo Dragotta as the second-leading goal scorer in 2012. She has 16 career goals and 15 career assists to her name.
Speese has been a dual threat as a goal scorer and playmaker, scoring 14 goals and notching 17 assists in her college career.
Even with the upperclassmen making strides for the Gators, Speese said there are still improvements to be made on offense this season.
In Sunday’s game, the Gators took 17 shots on goal despite scoring only twice.
“We need to be more dynamic in the attacking third,” Speese said.
“We’re still not getting too many runs beyond the ball, and I think that’s something we’ll see more in practice. But we’re starting to pick up a little bit of rhythm, so hopefully that’ll continue in the next couple weeks.”
Freshman wins award: Freshman Pamela Begic won the SEC Freshman of the Week award Monday.
Begic scored her second goal of the season against Oklahoma on Friday and provided a secondary assist to Solaun’s first goal against Oklahoma State on Sunday.
“I think Pam is finally realizing that she can be a little more of a threat offensively,” Burleigh said Friday. “That’s really good to see because it’s hard to defend height.”
Follow Michelle Provenzano on Twitter @mmprovenzano.
Annie Speese attempts a shot during Florida’s 2-0 win against Oklahoma State on Sunday at James G. Pressly Stadium.
