The 2015 Southeastern Conference schedule ended the way it started: a 2-1 result between Texas A&M and Florida.
Only this time, with the SEC Tournament on the line, the Gators came out victorious.
On Sunday in Orange Beach, Alabama, No. 5 UF fought from behind to defeat the Aggies, taking its 11th SEC tournament title in the 21-year history of the Becky Burleigh-led program.
The Aggies were the first to strike, doing so in the 23rd minute of the game.
UF junior midfielder Meggie Dougherty Howard mishandled a ball in the Gators’ back third, leading to a TAMU three-on-two opportunity.
The Aggies’ Mikaela Harvey stole the ball from Dougherty Howard, passing the ball up to Emily Bates who then dished the ball across the box to Haley Pounds, who delivered a high shot in the net from the right side, capitalizing on the initial Florida error.
Despite the mishap, the Gators (17-3-1, 8-2-1 SEC) were able to gather their bearings in quick fashion.
Just six minutes later, off a Christen Westphal corner, Brooke Sharp scored off a touch from junior forward Savannah Jordan, striking the ball into the upper-left corner at the near post.
It was just the first shot of the game for Florida, but it was enough to even up the score and give the Gators the necessary momentum.
In the 43rd minute, Dougherty Howard drew a foul at the top of the box, leading to a free kick.
On the ensuing set piece, Westphal curled a free kick over the TAMU (15-6-1, 6-4-1 SEC) wall and into the left side of the net for the eventual conference tournament-clinching goal.
It was her second goal off a free kick in as many games, having also done so Friday against Auburn.
Burleigh credited both the game-tying and decisive goals to a trait that wasn’t with the team in the regular season matchup against the Aggies: execution.
"When it came right down to it," Burleigh said, "it was really good execution on both the free kick and the corner."
Going into halftime, the Gators had just three shots — two for goals — compared to the Aggies’ seven shots, including four shots on target.
A first half that was sloppy at times for the UF defense was followed by a much-improved second half in the defending third.
The second half saw the Gator defense give up just three shots and only one shot on target.
The main stat of the second half was the amount of goals Florida allowed: zero.
As the game progressed, the Gators controlled the ball to a greater extent, limiting TAMU's opportunities.
"If they don’t have the ball, it’s difficult for them to score," Burleigh said.
"When we have the ball, it’s our best defense because the other team is chasing."
The result from Sunday’s match was a culmination of the improvement the Gators have made since their early season loss to the Aggies.
On Sept. 10, then-No. 10 Florida lost at home to then-No. 6 TAMU, in a game that Burleigh noted had a "lack of execution," and that the team was "doing too much."
In the 15-game span since that loss, Florida has dropped just one match, is in the midst of a nine-game winning streak and has clinched both the SEC regular season and tournament titles, while also emerging as the fifth-best team in the country.
"It’s a real testament to the resilience that this team shows, given the fact that we started a little bit slow," Burleigh said of the Gators’ progression throughout the SEC schedule.
"The team just kept trying what we were doing, and it kept working really hard, and here we are."
Follow Kyle Brutman on Twitter @KBrut13
UF defender Christen Westphal dribbles during Florida's 4-0 win against Arkansas on Oct. 25, 2015, at Donald R. Dizney Stadium.
