When fans go to soccer games and watch them on television, they are anticipating the exciting moments of the game. They want to see goals, and they want to see the big plays.
For this year’s Florida team, there are sure to be plenty of goals and exciting scoring plays.
But what gets overlooked at times when a team wins is how well their defense performs.
The No. 6 Gators won their first two games this past weekend, shutting out both Miami and South Florida and holding them to a combined five shots compared to Florida’s 29.
The defensive play of Florida was solid throughout both games, and not just from the defenders, but from everybody on the field.
“This preseason we really worked on team defense,” senior midfielder Havana Solaun said. “The whole concept is kind of like when we lose possession, it’s get behind the ball and whoever’s closest goes and so I think that everybody all over the field was just doing a huge job of playing team defense.”
Senior goalkeeper Taylor Burke also liked what she saw from her defense last weekend. She had high praise for the way her team played defensively in both games.
“I have to obviously give a lot of credit to the defense, they played awesome,” Burke said. “We didn’t even have that many shots on goal so it was awesome that the whole team defended and it was really good for us to get two shutouts as well.”
Although she was quick to give credit to her defense for the two shutout victories, Burke’s play this weekend can not be overlooked either. She is no stranger to shutouts as she captured the 24th and 25th solo shutouts of her career with the wins over Miami and South Florida and is now only two away from tying the school record of 27, which was set by Katie Fraine in 2010.
Not everything Burke does during a game gets recognized on the stat sheet, but it is reflected in the team’s performance as a whole.
“She takes care of a lot of things by directing the people in front of her,” coach Becky Burleigh said, “and by cutting out crosses and things like that that could turn into more dangerous opportunities.”
Follow Alex Maminakis on Twitter @alexmaminakis
Taylor Burke kicks the ball during Florida’s 2-0 victory against Texas A&M on Sunday at James G. Pressly Stadium. Burke has not allowed a goal in three games against the Bulldogs.
