GAINESVILLE, Florida - Three different Gator goal scorers gave the University of Florida soccer team a 3-1 win over Missouri Sunday afternoon in front of a Donald R. Dizney Stadium crowd of 564. The Gators' first goal started when Meggie Dougherty Howard<http://www.gatorzone.com/soccer/bios.php?year=2014&player_id=104> received the ball in the middle of the field just above the MU box. She tried a pass to Savannah Jordan<http://www.gatorzone.com/soccer/bios.php?year=2014&player_id=102> at top of box but pass was blocked. Dougherty Howard regained possession and pass she sent to Jordan was flicked by a touch of Jordan's foot to her left. Senior Havana Solaun<http://www.gatorzone.com/soccer/bios.php?year=2014&player_id=86> took the ball and placed it in from 10 yards in the 20th minute. A pair of Gator sophomores connected to give Florida its second goal of the opening half. From about 10 yards above the Tigers' box, Pamela Begič<http://www.gatorzone.com/soccer/bios.php?year=2014&player_id=106> sent the ball left for Betsy Middleton<http://www.gatorzone.com/soccer/bios.php?year=2014&player_id=109> who was running unmarked through the box and looking for Jordan running down the opposite side. MU goalkeeper McKenzie Sauerwein came out to make the stop but the ball squirted away, Middleton found the ball to score from six yards. The Tigers cut the lead to a single goal early in the second half when Alli Magaletta's 35-yard shot scored in the 48th minute. Florida pushed the lead back to a pair of goals in the 58th minute when Solaun's pass found Tessa Andujar<http://www.gatorzone.com/soccer/bios.php?year=2014&player_id=76> making a right-side run. Andujar took a couple of centering touches, then crossed it to Jordan at the near post. Jordan used a flick of her foot to send the ball in at the far post for her second goal of the weekend. Gator Stars: * For Florida's opening half goal scorers, it was the second goal of the season for both Solaun and Middleton. * Jordan scored her team-leading seventh goal Sunday. She also scored Florida's final goal in Friday's 2-1 win over No. 22 Georgia. * Andujar's assist on Jordan's goal pushes her team leading season total to five. Her five assist in 2014 is her career season-high (previous high: three assists in 2012) Records: Florida: 8-2, 3-0 SEC Missouri: 7-2-2, 2-1 SEC What the Gators Said: Did Missouri play match your scouting report? "They pretty much played the way we expected. They were missing a big player, Kaysie Clark, who I personally think is their best player. We didn't know that until game time, but we were hoping that she would be playing because we want to play teams at their best. I thought they battled back. They got a goal and put some pressure on us. They played hard." - Florida Head Coach Becky Burleigh Describe what happened on your goal? "Meggie played the ball into Savannah who held it up and then flicked it off to me. The keeper came running out so I kind of just passed it by." - senior midfielder Havana Solaun On today's match: "It was a really tough game. We stuck to the way we like to play and got some goals out of it. "After they scored an early goal [in the half], we took a deep breath to just relax and tell ourselves 'the next chance is going to come'. Scoring that third goal took a weight off our shoulders." - senior midfielder Havana Solaun What led to your goal? "It was very strange. For a second there, I had no idea what was going on. It all started with Jillian [Graf]; she orchestrated the whole thing by making a brilliant run down the sideline. Then going through Pam [Begič], who was completely composed with the ball and then finding me out wide. Honestly, Savannah was continuing in the box, making a fantastic run. Since the goalkeeper was cutting off my near post angle and I was thinking 'cut it back to Savannah, she can lay it right into the goal'. As I was doing that, the keeper did cut me off and I turned around to find the ball free. So at that moment, it was my opportunity to score. It was a team effort, completely." - sophomore midfielder Betsy Middleton What happened on your goal? "I think it was a great build-up. It started with our defense and eventually the ball got switched to Tessa. She had been attacking all day down the side. She had a great cross into me and I was able to finish." - sophomore forward Savannah Jordan On the team's play today: "I think it is good when you can get six points on a SEC weekend. We used a lot of players today so it was a total team effort, which was great. We didn't execute how we wanted to all the time, but at the same time, I thought some of the goals were really spectacular." - Florida Head Coach Becky Burleigh Worth Noting Both Solaun and Jordan registered a goal and an assist in Sunday's win. Two other Gators have turned in a goal and an assist in the same match this season - Begič (at Florida State Sept. 5) and Brooke Sharp (at Oklahoma State Aug. 31 and at New Mexico Sept. 14). Florida used every player available today. A team can have 22 players available to play in league matches. The previous season high was 21 players appearing in the Sept. 14 match at New Mexico. Preseason Conference Votes: Florida shared the 2013 Southeastern Conference title with Texas A&M as each team posted 9-2 league records. Missouri took eighth in the SEC in 2013 with its 4-4-3 record Florida - The Gators are picked to win the Southeastern Conference. Missouri - The Tigers are picked to take ninth in the SEC. Rankings: Florida is ranked No. 7 on the fifth National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) poll<http://www.nscaatv.com/rankings/3365/NCAADivisionI/women/Poll5>. Next up: Florida travels west for a pair of Southeastern Conference matches next weekend. The Gators meet No. 10 Texas A&M on Friday, Oct. 3. Match time is set for 8 p.m. ET at the Audrey J. Walton Complex in College Station, Texas. Watch the stream of Friday's match on SEC Network+. Then the Gators meet Arkansas on Sunday, Oct. 5. Match time is set for noon ET at the Razorback Field. That match airs on the SEC Network (Gainesville/Ocala Cox cable channel 68 or 1068)
Florida Gator soccer