Texas A&M was not ready to forget its 2-0 loss to Florida on Oct. 27.
In another game when Florida scored first, Texas A&M made sure to overcome it this time.
In a tough battle, the fifth-ranked Gators fell 2-1 to the No. 21-ranked Aggies and missed on earning their second consecutive Southeastern Tournament title at the Orange Beach Sportsplex in Orange Beach, Ala., on Sunday afternoon.
Losing junior midfielder Havana Solaun to a knee injury in the 24th minute put a damper on Florida’s spirit.
“Psychologically it was difficult when Havana went out,” coach Becky Burleigh said. “She’s a really dangerous player for us, so we’re going to feel that loss.”
But the loss didn’t hold the Gators back for long.
Florida put up the first point on the scoreboard about four minutes after Solaun left the field.
The Gators needed something to lift their spirits, so junior midfielder Annie Speese looked to ease Florida’s tension.
Freshman forward Savannah Jordan ran the ball up the far side of the box and sent a cross to Speese, who was sprinting her way to the box. Speese got to the ball and took a left-footed shot that powered the ball across the goal and into the far corner.
However, Texas A&M was ready to retaliate in the second half.
In the 56th minute, the Aggies charged into the Gators’ half, where junior forward Shea Groom ran to the right of the box and took a shot that curved the ball around Florida’s backline and into the goal.
“In the second half, we got a little bit passive and dropped back a little bit too deep,” Burleigh said. “We did not press them high enough and gave them a little bit of space to play in. Kudos to them for coming back from a goal down.”
The Aggies held the majority of possession throughout the second.
The Gators struggled to get the ball out of their half and saw a few close calls.
Then the Aggies utilized a long shot to break the tie.
Freshman forward Liz Keester rifled in a shot from the near corner of the box to get it just barely past goalkeeper Taylor Burke and provided the game-winning goal to get sweet revenge over Florida.
Despite the loss, Florida’s season isn’t over yet.
Florida will appear in the NCAA Tournament, with the first game still to be announced.
If the Gators learned anything this season, it’s that they won’t be taken for granted for long.
“We’ve shown the ability to bounce back all year,” Burleigh said. “When we lost two games in the SEC back-to-back, I think a lot of people counted us out.
“This group is pretty resilient, so I’m confident that we can bounce back.”
Florida junior midfielder Havana Solaun fakes out a Kentucky defender during the Gators' 3-0 win against the Wildcats on Oct. 18 2013 at James G. Pressly Stadium.
