The first game of the Gators’ Southeastern Conference schedule did not go as planned.
Under the Thursday night lights of Donald R. Dizney Stadium, the No. 10 Florida soccer team (4-2, 0-1 SEC) suffered a 2-1 loss to No. 6 Texas A&M (6-1, 1-0 SEC) in a battle of the conference’s top two teams.
Miscommunication and mental mistakes plagued the Gators throughout the game. Coach Becky Burleigh’s team mistimed passes on all parts of the field, and turnovers from the defense deep in the Aggies’ territory combined with a lack communication between the back line and redshirt junior goalkeeper Valerie Tysinger led to TAMU’s score seven minutes into the game.
Following a mistimed header attempt by midfielder Lauren Smith to push the ball forward outside the 18-yard box, TAMU forward Emily Bates out-jumped a leaping Tysinger to head the ball into the back of the net.
Following a UF mental mistake, Texas A&M narrowly missed on converting a scoring opportunity into its second goal of the game.
In the 24th minute, Tysinger and a Gators’ defender both went for a ball about 10 yards beyond the box. In their attempt to clear the threat, they collided, and the loose ball popped to an unmarked Aggie. The Gators, however escaped the situation unscathed.
Throughout the game, pressure from the Aggies’ high-powered offense troubled the defense, leading to poor passing and mental errors from the back line.
"Their offense stemmed from the pressure they put on us," senior defender Christen Westphal said. "That pressure caused us to make the mistakes."
Despite the amount of pressure TAMU put on the Gators, it only outshot UF five to four in the first half.
It didn’t let up, however, as Texas A&M put Florida on its heels defensively to begin the second half.
Seven minutes into the final 45, Texas A&M scored on a deflection off Tysinger, who saved the original attempt.
"It definitely brings you down a level to where you’re kind of like ‘We could have definitely prevented that’," Westphal said.
The beginning of the second half was quiet for the Gators.
The offense couldn’t manage a shot until the 71st minute, when junior forward Savannah Jordan sent a low shot to the left near post that was snagged by TAMU goalie Taylor Saucier.
This marked a momentum shift for Florida.
Just six minutes later, Jordan scored the Gators’ first and only goal of the night.
Freshman midfielder Mayra Pelayo sent a ball towards Jordan, with the pass finding the keeper’s hands.
Subsequently, the goalie lost control of the ball, causing it to fall at Jordan’s feet and giving her the easy opportunity on goal.
Less than five minutes later, Florida created two serious goal-scoring threats, but the Gators couldn’t convert.
Following halftime, a change in formation from a 4-5-1 to a 3-5-2 — a more aggressive offensive strategy — sparked UF’s offense.
"When I have Brooke Sharp or another forward up there with me, it’s definitely a lot easier in a way," Jordan said.
The momentum shift, though, was not enough for Florida to score again and capture a tie as the Aggies snapped the Gators' 15 game home winning streak.
Simply put, the Gators didn’t execute the way they wanted to against the Aggies.
Becky Burleigh is well aware of that fact.
"I would hate to see what our pass-completion rate for tonight was," Burleigh said. "I’m sure it was pretty poor."
Follow Kyle Brutman on Twitter @KBrut13
UF soccer coach Becky Burleigh talks with her team following Florida's 2-1 loss to Texas A&M on Sept. 10, 2015, at Donald R. Dizney Stadium.
