In the 69th minute, Savannah Jordan broke the game open.
The senior weaved between defenders to tap in a goal off an assist from sophomore Samantha Chung from 7 yards out, giving Florida a 1-0 lead.
Behind a stellar offensive performance led by Jordan, No. 12 Florida broke Tennessee’s three-match winning streak, defeating the Volunteers 2-0 on Sunday night at James G. Pressly Stadium.
“I am just really happy that we had a game, because when you sit on a loss like we had on Thursday it’s just great to get back on the field,” UF coach Becky Burleigh said. “All we were looking from our team was a response, and I think that we got that.”
Entering Sunday, Florida (7-3) (2-2 Southeastern Conference) had dropped two of its last three games, including a 3-0 shutout loss to Auburn in its SEC home opener on Thursday.
And after the 45 minutes, Florida looked to be heading toward another scoreless outing.
The Gators were kept off the board in the first half through a great defensive effort by Tennessee’s goalkeeper Shaw Yanez, who had eight saves.
Florida had 12 shots to Tennessee’s two in the first 45 minutes.
Jordan finally broke Florida's scoring drought with her goal in the 69th minute, which turned out to be all Florida needed due to an impressive defensive outing.
“I think our team collectively, from the forwards down to our keeper, we did a really great job defensively,” Jordan said. “I think by us, towards the second half, applying that pressure to their backs put them a little stressed."
But the Gators didn’t stop attacking Tennessee. Freshman Sammie Betters scored the Gators’ final goal of the night in the 89th minute from 23 yards away off an assist from sophomore Sarah Troccoli, putting Florida up 2-0 and ensuring a win.
It was her first collegiate goal.
“I looked up and saw the back post was open so I figured why not go for it,” Betters said. “It’s great to be able to contribute to the team in any way, so being able to score is nice.”
The Volunteers (6-5, 2-2 SEC), who have scored a combined seven goals in their last three matches, were shut out for the first time since August 25.
The Gators are now 3-0 in games coming off a loss.
They will travel to Baton Rouge, Louisiana to take on the LSU Tigers on Friday.
Contact Lauren Staff at lstaff@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter @lstaff27.
Savannah Jordan dribbles the ball during Florida's 5-2 win over Iowa State on Aug. 19 at James G. Pressly Stadium.
