With 11 games under their belt, the Gators are finally figuring out how to play as a team.
For the first time this season, No. 16 Florida (8-3, 3-2 Southeastern Conference) secured back-to-back shutouts against two SEC opponents: Tennessee on Sept. 25 and LSU last Friday.
Florida, the 2015 SEC regular season and tournament champions are tied for fifth in the conference.
“We have just started focusing on (shutouts) more,” senior midfielder Meggie Dougherty Howard said on Wednesday. “We know that if we keep giving up goals at that rate we had been, we’re not going to be able to go deep into our season. Its putting more emphasis on that and taking pride in our defending all over the field.”
As experienced as the Gators are, their success this season has a lot to do with the production of their underclassmen.
As a freshman last year, Florida forward and midfielder Melanie Monteagudo didn’t score a goal.
Through the first 11 games, the sophomore already has five.
Monteagudo, who was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week on Monday, has become one of the leaders on the Gators’ offense.
“I am just making the most of my opportunities this year as opposed to last year,” Monteagudo said.
“Definitely my work ethic has been a lot better this year, and I am just learning from last year...And you can obviously see it by the goals that I have scored.”
The Pembroke Pines native ranks second on the team in goals scored behind senior forward Savannah Jordan (8) and ranks third in the SEC with three game-winning goals.
But as successful as they have been the last two games, the Gators still have a long road ahead if they want to repeat the success they had in 2015, starting today at home against Georgia.
The Bulldogs (4-7-1, 0-5 SEC) are looking for its first conference win of the season and Florida doesn’t want to be the team to give it to them.
“It is always a good game because it is so much fun,” UF coach Becky Burleigh said.
“The idea of Florida versus Georgia in anything at this school brings out the best. So I think, for us, it is just about matching the intensity.”
The Gators will also be wearing pink tonight to recognize Breast Cancer Awareness Month
“It gives us the opportunity to play for something bigger than ourselves, bigger than the school and come together with Gator Nation and the community to bring awareness to breast cancer,” Dougherty Howard said.
“And fight for the women who fight for their lives everyday.”
Contact Lauren Staff at lstaff@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter @lstaff27.
UF forward/midfielder Melanie Monteagudo dribbles down the field during Florida's 5-2 win against Iowa State on Aug. 19, 2016, at James G. Pressly Stadium.
