What coach Becky Burleigh witnessed Thursday was exactly what she had been looking for all season.
Florida secured a 5-1 victory over Georgia in Athens, Ga., on Thursday night and won a share of the Southeastern Conference regular season title with Texas A&M.
The title is the 13th in the program’s 18-year history.
“We had a little adversity in the beginning of this game, but the team managed to battle through that,” Burleigh said. “It was good for us to show some relentlessness in this game.”
Sophomore center back Christen Westphal tested her skills offensively, scoring the most unusual goal of the night in the 15th minute.
Westphal took a free kick for Florida (15-3-1, 9-2 SEC) and caught Georgia goalkeeper Caitlin Woody out of the goal. The center back shot the ball over Woody’s head and into the back of the net from 45 yards out.
The goal was the first of Westphal’s career.
“She got that ball in the right place,” Burleigh said. “That’s always a difficult ball — we call it the corridor of the decision when you put the ball there. The keeper has to decided whether to come or not, and it’s not always easy.”
Florida went on to rifle in three more goals in the first half, with two coming from freshman forward and SEC Offensive Player of the Week Savannah Jordan.
Jordan now has 20 goals this season — the most in a season by a Florida player since Abby Wambach scored 31 goals in 2001.
Junior midfielder Havana Solaun clinched her seventh goal of the season, taking a touch on the ball in Georgia’s attacking third and sinking it into an open net.
Georgia’s (12-6-1, 5-5-1 SEC) attack came out more dangerous in the second half with senior midfielder Madeline Barker scoring the Bulldogs’ only goal into the upper ninety around the 50th minute.
The Gators could not resist going for the retaliation as junior midfielder Annie Speese scored the fifth Florida goal of the night off a penalty kick in the 65th minute.
“I think a lot of people counted us out about a month ago,” Burleigh said, “The team preserved. It was an exciting finish.”
Follow Michelle Provenzano on Twitter @mmprovenzano.
The Florida soccer team celebrates after winning a share of the Southeastern Conference with its 5-1 win against Georgia on Thursday night in Athens, Ga.
