After the Florida soccer team had its first multi-game road trip against Southeastern Conference opponents, coach Becky Burleigh realized that some coaching adjustments needed to be made.
The No. 9 Gators (8-3, 2-2 SEC) traveled on the road Friday and Sunday to take on Vanderbilt and No. 13 Auburn, respectively. Both games ended in 3-2 score lines, with the former favoring the Gators.
"The beauty of losing is that it sort of uncovers some of the things that winning can hide," Burleigh said.
"The reality of our team is that I’m kind of coaching half this group for the very first time, and I need to find better and different ways to get the most out of each player."
Burleigh said Monday she wants to maximize the potential of every player on the team and really look at how she’s coaching the players, of which 15 are freshmen.
"There’s some things tactically that we can change," Burleigh said.
"I think we need to be a little more disciplined, give up less set pieces, give up less where we kind of dive in and get a little anxious but those are all things that we can work on."
Florida’s loss to Auburn came when the Tigers scored off a corner kick in the final 30 seconds of the game.
Burleigh said communication could’ve helped in that late-game situation when multiple Gators tried to make a play on the ball.
Both of UF’s goalkeepers, freshman Kaylan Marckese and redshirt junior Valerie Tysinger, saw action over the weekend and Burleigh said that the position battle is still ongoing.
The Gators have given up 16 goals this season, equaling the amount of goals the team conceded in the entire 2014 regular season, but Burleigh knows there is going to be some teachable moments with this group of players.
"It was a challenging weekend for us in terms of travel and the first time we’ve had a multi-game weekend like that for these younger players," Burleigh said.
The team will be focused on playing together as a unit, but Burleigh said she is looking for more intensity from her team with an effort level that can remain consistent through multiple games.
"We still have a lot that we can get better at," Burleigh said.
"Do we have some stumbling blocks along the way? Yeah, for sure. But I think that’s all part of what this team’s journey is going to be."
Follow Ryan Summers on Twitter @RyanSummers18
Goalkeeper Val Tysinger chases the ball during Florida's 2-1 win against Troy in an exhibition match on Aug. 11, 2015, at the soccer practice field at Donald R. Dizney Stadium.
