After going into halftime with a 1-0 deficit against Ole Miss on Friday, the No. 12 Florida soccer team needed to find a way to rebound.
And once the Gators came out of intermission, they did just that.
Florida scored four unanswered goals in the second half en route to a 4-1 victory at James G. Pressly Stadium.
A 40th-minute goal by the Rebels’ Addie Forbas, who finished what seemed like a pinball-like sequence in the box, helped Ole Miss (5-2-2, 0-2 Southeastern Conference) head to the locker rooms with the halftime lead.
Florida wasted no time getting back into the game once the second half began.
Less than 30 seconds into the half, senior defender Christen Westphal scored on a long goal from outside the box to tie the game up at 1-1.
It was Westphal’s first goal of the season, and first goal since the 2013 regular season finale.
Following the goal by Westphal, it took just more than 30 minutes for the tie to be broken, as forward Brooke Sharp found the back of the net in the 78th minute to give UF (6-2,1-1 SEC) the 2-1 advantage.
Freshman midfielder Sarah Troccoli passed the ball on the ground across the six-yard box to find the feel of Sharp from four yards out.
Four minutes later, midfielder Betsy Middleton connected on a header from a corner kick for her first goal of the year.
Middleton’s goal came as a result of her trying to create opportunities for her teammates.
“Liz (Slattery) and Savannah (Jordan) are two of the best headers on the team,” Middleton said.
“What I was trying to do…was block people from them so they could get a goal…somehow I opened up and it just came off my head and went into the goal.”
Middleton’s goal was assisted by Westphal, who said she enjoyed the third goal over the goal she scored to start the second half.
“I get the same feeling when someone else scores a goal,” Westphal said about her goal.
“But I think I get more excited when they do.”
The final dagger came off the foot of Savannah Jordan, her eighth goal of the season, in the 89th minute.
A lot of opportunities lead up to the goal by Jordan, including at least four threatening chances on goal in the first half as well as a laser of a shot off of the crossbar in the second half.
“I had a feeling that Savannah was going to get at least one more chance,” coach Becky Burleigh said.
“I told her ‘just be patient, it’s coming.’”
The win puts the Gators at an even 1-1 in SEC play, helping them evade a possible 0-2 conference hole.
Florida will play Florida International in Miami on Sunday in the team’s final non-conference match of the regular season.
Follow Kyle Brutman on Twitter @KBrut13
Brooke Sharp (11) celebrates with teammates following her goal during Florida's 2-1 win against Georgia on Friday at James G. Pressly Stadium.
