Going into halftime on a rainy night in Nashville, Tennessee, No. 9 Florida (7-2, 2-1 Southeastern Conference) and Vanderbilt (5-5-1, 1-2 SEC) were deadlocked at 2-2.
Much like the score indicated, both teams were neck-and-neck in the first 45 minutes.
Both teams had an ample amount of shots and possessions in the offensive third, giving both goalkeepers a reason to stay on their toes.
Sarah Troccoli put the Gators on the board first in the 13th minute, followed by two goals in a three-minute span by the Commodores.
Five minutes after Vanderbilt’s tie-breaking goal, Florida’s Brooke Sharp scored a Savannah Jordan-assisted goal inside the six-yard box to tie the game up at two goals apiece.
A little over ten minutes into the second half, an unlikely hero stepped up for a Gators team that was itching for a win that would earn them a winning record in conference play.
Coming off the bench for Florida in the second half was Betsy Middleton, a junior transfer from Miami who has started just one game this season.
In the 56th minute, in what seemed to be a miscommunication between Vanderbilt goalie Christiana Ogunsami and a defender, a ball from Melanie Monteagudo bounced to the feet of Middleton outside the box.
Seeing that Ogunsami was off her line and out of position, Middleton didn’t hesitate and took a shot on goal from 22 yards out.
“It’s either a one-touch shot or it’s not going in.” Middleton said of the situation.
The shot sailed over the goalkeeper’s head and into the top left corner for the goal, giving the Gators a 3-2 lead.
“It was a good, heads-up play,” Florida coach Becky Burleigh said.
“That isn’t an easy goal to score with the ball bouncing around like that.”
Florida was able to hold the lead for the game’s final 34 minutes, securing the 3-2 win on the road.
A large part of the Gators’ success in the second half—outshooting Vanderbilt 8-3—was the play of defender Claire Falknor.
The senior Falknor was pushing up into the offensive throughout the half, causing the Commodores’ forward Simone Charley, who assisted both of her team’s goals, to spend a lot of the second half chasing the Florida defender.
“That took a little away from them offensively,” Burleigh said.
Another second half adjustment for the Gators was allowing themselves to build up plays from the backline without a whole lot of pressure from Vanderbilt.
“I thought our team adjusted really well to what they were trying to do,” Burleigh said.
“I think we dealt with that pretty well.”
Follow Kyle Brutman on Twitter @KBrut13
Betsy Middleton (36) dribbles the ball during Florida's 3-0 win against Miami on Aug. 22 at James G. Pressly Stadium.
