Nobody likes to lose.
For Florida, it has taken last week’s loss in its first match of the Southeastern Conference Tournament and turned it into a positive as it heads into Sunday’s first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The Gators headed home from the SEC Tournament earlier than expected after dropping their first game to Tennessee in penalty kicks. But, as multiple members of the team have said, that loss may have been a blessing in disguise.
"I think dropping out early was good for us actually," senior Lauren Silver said. "Having this whole time off, we get to mentally get engaged in the game. And now we get to practice this week and put the physical part of it into play and then hopefully all of that will add up in the Mercer game."
Florida received a No. 2 seed on Monday for the NCAA Tournament and will host the Mercer Bears on Sunday in its first-round match. The Gators are excited to have received the No. 2 seed and are happy to once again be playing on their home field.
"We’re really, really excited to be playing at home," coach Becky Burleigh said. "It gives us a couple extra days, too, so I think from that standpoint, it’s given us a chance to really kind of hunker down on some of the things we want to work on."
The unsettling realization now for Florida is that one loss in the NCAA Tournament means its season is over.
Losing in the SEC Tournament didn’t provide that big of a blow to the team because it knew there was still soccer left to be played. That will no longer be the case after this tournament.
With that in mind, the Gators are focused on preparing well and showcasing a strong performance on Sunday, which they hope will be just the beginning of a deep run into the tournament.
Florida cannot afford to assume that its match against Mercer will be easy by any means.
The Bears won their conference championship and set a school single-season record with 14 wins this year.
"I think we just have to trust ourselves, trust our system, trust each other and just trust our coaches," senior Annie Speese said.
"Everything that we’ve been working on up to this point, just make sure it all comes together."
Florida’s seniors also recognize that their collegiate careers are rapidly coming to a close. With the NCAA Tournament lying ahead, Silver isn’t focusing on just winning, but also on enjoying her time on the field.
"This year, I developed a lot of relationships with people on the team and I’m pretty much playing for the people next to me," Silver said. "It’s good to be on the field and to have a purpose, rather than just winning."
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Lauren Silver dribbles the ball during Florida's 3-1 win against Tennessee.
