The Gators appeared to be cruising to another victory after they outshot Kennesaw State 10 to none in the first half.
However, the Owls looked like a completely different team after the halftime break.
Florida had to work hard to limit the Owl attack due to the increased intensity and pressure. The two teams looked much more evenly matched after halftime and traded several scoring opportunities.
The Florida Gators (3-0-2) drew against the Kennesaw State Owls (1-2-2) 1-1 Sunday night in Kennesaw, Georgia. The Gators, coming off a monster 8-0 victory against Stetson, and remained undefeated after the draw.
Both teams started slow offensively, but Florida controlled the early possession battle.
Gators freshman forward Megan Hinnenkamp put the first shot on goal in the 13th minute. Kennesaw sophomore goalkeeper Allanah Blye saved the shot in the bottom right corner.
In the 23rd minute, Hinnenkamp blasted a shot into the top left corner to open the scoring and grab her third goal of the season.
The Gators peppered Blye with shots on goal after the first score. Florida quickly compiled eight shots between the 13th and 29th minutes.
Florida junior forward Madeline Pirrello sent a shot towards the top left corner that deflected off the post and out of bounds.
The Gators had a plethora of scoring opportunities in the first half and kept the defense on its heels. Kennesaw State responded well to Florida’s pressure and kept the deficit to one goal heading into halftime.
Florida redshirt sophomore forward Sophie White sent the first shot of the second half just over the goal post in the 45th minute.
The Owls came out of the halftime break playing with a renewed sense of urgency.
In the 49th minute, Kennesaw State senior forward Tianna Rivera nearly scored on the team’s first shot of the game but sent it wide.
Junior Owls forward Macie Rainwater floated a shot off the left goal post after a centering pass by freshman midfielder Anabel Orozco.
In the 65th minute, senior Owls midfielder Agata Giani scored the game-tying goal off of a long crossing pass from Orozco. The goal marked the first goal Florida’s conceded in the 2023 season.
White sent a long-range shot off the right post in the 74th minute.
The two teams traded possession of the ball often down the stretch but neither managed to find a winning goal as the match ended in a 1-1 draw.
The Gators will next play on the road against Charlotte at 5 p.m. Thursday. The game can be streamed on ESPN+.
Contact Austin Stirling at astirling@alligator.org. Follow him on Twitter @austinstirlingg.
Austin Stirling is a third-year journalism major and sports reporter for The Alligator. He previously covered Gators women's basketball and is primarily covering soccer during the fall 2023 semester. He is a huge New York sports fan and is hoping the Jets can be a respectable football team for once in his life this season.
