The pitch was set. The Florida Gators soccer team stood poised at Donald R. Dizney Stadium, ready to kick off its 2024 season against a formidable opponent: the Western Carolina Catamounts. The Catamounts, fresh off a Southern Conference regular-season title with a 7-2 record in 2023, refused to make the Gators’ opener easy.
As the clock approached clutch time in the first period, the Gators were hungry for a breakthrough. Florida graduate student midfielder Delaney Tauzel delivered a precise corner kick into the crowded box, sailing the ball over a cluster of defenders.
Senior defender Madison Young seized the moment, leaping to meet the ball with a powerful header that found the back of the net.
It was the first goal of the season for the Gators and the fourth time in their careers Tauzel and Young connected for a corner kick goal.
Florida (1-0-0) claimed a 2-0 victory against the Western Carolina Catamounts (0-0-1) in a tightly contested season opener Friday evening. The Catamounts were caught by the teeth of the Gators’ offense and struggled to claim a successful point in the fight.
UF showed relentlessness in the first period, firing six shots on goal and earning four corner kicks. Despite its pressure, the Catamounts held their ground making five saves to keep the Gators at bay.
In the opening two minutes, WCU junior midfielder Ava Robitaille sent a shot toward the net. But Florida goalkeeper Alexa Goldberg took that as an opportunity to claim her first save of the season to hold off the Catamounts from opening the score.
Redshirt sophomore midfielder Madison Jones triggered the Gator’s offensive efforts with a bottom-left shot, but WCU junior goalkeeper Leanne Trudel blocked the attempt.
The next thirty minutes flew in a see-saw battle as both sides attempted to send the ball into the opposing defense’s territory. The Catamounts had two offside penalties, and the Gators escaped with none.
With five minutes left in the first half, Young scored for Florida with an assist from her partner-in-crime Tauzel.
The first ten minutes of the second period saw a flurry of shots on goal. Sophomore goalkeeper Paloma Peña, making her orange and blue debut, quickly made her presence felt. WCU junior forward Isabella DeMarco aimed a shot toward the bottom left corner, but Peña saved it to keep Florida’s one-point lead.
DeMarco sent a follow-up attempt in the next 15 seconds to be discounted by a team save. The Catamounts felt another offside penalty and a foul on Robitaille. Florida was then handed a yellow card for freshman midfielder Norah Abbot's behavior to mark the night’s first yellow card.
The aggressive style of play continued throughout the night as the Gators were hit with their first offside penalty. The Catamounts had four offsides with two in the second period.
Gator sophomore forward Amelia Malkin took a shot aimed at the top right corner, but it sailed wide to procure another failed attempt for UF. Moments later, sophomore forward Lena Bailey fired a bottom center shot but Trudel saved it. Bailey’s efforts were pounded with a foul and then followed with a yellow card.
WCU's junior midfielder Naya Marcil and sophomore defender Mary Mueth both committed fouls, leading to a penalty kick for the Gators late in the action. UF senior midfielder Lauren Donovan stepped up for the shot but was denied by a strong save.
Head coach Samantha Bohon made a last-minute substitution to swap freshman forward Vera Blom with junior defender Njeri Butts. She didn’t hesitate for a second. Within a blink of an eye, Butts partnered up with junior forward Lauren McCloskey for a double-assist, setting up sophomore midfielder Delaney Tellex for Florida’s second goal.
Tellex’s strike sealed the deal, eliminating any shred of doubt about the match’s outcome as the Gators secured their first win of the season.
Florida will next take on North Florida Thursday at 7 p.m. in Jacksonville, Florida. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Contact Krisha Sanghavi at ksanghavi@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter @krishasang.
Krisha Sanghavi is a third-year public relations and economics major. In her free time, she loves cheering on Miami sports teams and spending time with her friends.
