Most teams aren’t supposed to be this good on the road.
No. 6 Florida (9-2, 4-0 Southeastern Conference) defeated No .9 Texas A&M (9-2-1, 3-1 SEC) 1-0 in College Station, Texas, on Friday night. It was the Gators’ fifth straight victory and fifth road win of the season.
The Gators’ win also snapped the Aggies’ 15-game home winning streak that dates back to last season.
The entire game was evenly matched. The teams traded scoring opportunities and great saves all night.
The lone goal came in the 84th minute when sophomore Savannah Jordan sent a close-range shot toward the net, only to find the feet of Texas A&M junior defender Karlie Mueller for an own goal.
That goal was enough to seal the victory for Florida.
“I think it’s just another experience to add to this group’s repertoire,” coach Becky Burleigh said. “It was a great team that we played against in A&M. There were a few times early that they had us on the ropes, but we managed to regain our composure and come through with the late goal.”
Composure was key to Florida’s victory Friday night. The Gators controlled possession very well and played at their own pace for a majority of the game, something that Burleigh said played a huge role in the end.
“Once we sustain possession, the other team has to chase,” Burleigh said. “And once they have to chase, that’s just very difficult. It wears them down physically.”
Wearing down Texas A&M’s offense is no easy task. The Aggies came into Friday’s match leading the SEC in goals, shots taken and shots on goal. Slowing them down was not an easy job, but Florida’s defense got it done.
Two huge offside penalties against Texas A&M didn’t help the Aggies either, taking two surefire goals off of the board.
Senior goalkeeper Taylor Burke also continues to make huge saves in big moments for Florida. With the high-powered offense that Texas A&M has, Burke’s strong play was a huge factor in the Gators’ win.
Burke and the Florida defense took heavy fire all night, but were able to sustain it and hold off the Aggies long enough.
“Taylor came up with some big saves,” Burleigh said. “The defensive unit did good when they were numbers down, just to delay and not commit. I thought they did a really good job.”
Follow Alex Maminakis on Twitter @alexmaminakis.
Savannah Jordan dribbles the ball during Florida's 2-1 win against Georgia at James G. Pressly Stadium.
