Gator Country

UF junior defender Kathryn Williamson was named to the Top Drawer Soccer National Team of the Week for her play in a pair of wins against Vanderbilt and Kentucky last week. / Gator Country file photo by Tim Casey

All-American junior Kathryn Williamson (McKinney, Texas/McKinney Boyd H.S.) is part of the latest Top Drawer Soccer National Team of the Week and also picked up the Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Week honor. In addition, Annie Speese is the SEC Freshman of the Week.

Williamson is the second Gator named to the Top Drawer Soccer list this season, as Speese was part of the Sept. 19 list. Both pick up their second such SEC honors of 2011, as Williamson earned the defensive honor after the first week of the season and Speese was the freshman honoree on Sept. 19.

Last weekend at the James G. Pressly Stadium, the Gators opened home Southeastern Conference play with a pair of shutout wins. Williamson played the entirety of both matches during the weekend at center back. Florida limited Vanderbilt to a pair of shots on goal in Friday’s 2-0 win. In Sunday’s 3-0 win versus Kentucky, again the Gators limited their opponent to two shots on goal. Williamson, who has started each of the 61 matches of her Gator career, leads Florida in minutes played with her average of 83.7 minutes per match.

Speese scored Florida’s final two goals versus Kentucky for her second double-goal match of the season and second of the last six matches. The first goal came in the 75th minute when she put in the deflection off an Erika Tymrak shot. The final goal of the match came in the 87th minute when fellow freshman Havana Solaun’s through ball between two Wildcat defenders found Speese making a run down the left side of the box. Speese’s shot scored from just inside the six-yard box.

Speese is second among the Gators in goals (5) and points (14) and shares second in assists (4).

The Gators continue home action on Friday, Oct. 7 with No. 20 Auburn. It is the Gators’ fourth annual breast cancer awareness match and the first 400 fans receive pink “Kicking for the Cure” t-shirts.

Friday’s match airs live at 7 p.m. on FS-Florida (Gainesville/Ocala Cox Cable channel 70 or 1070) with Larry Vettel and Matthew Stubbington handling the announcing duties. The match can also be heard on http://www.GatorZone.com with Adam Schick calling the action.

SEC Players of the Week - 10/3/11

Defensive - Kathryn Williamson, Florida
Offensive - Taryne Boudreau, LSU
Freshman - Annie Speese, Florida

Top Drawer Soccer National Team of the Week

GK: Aubrey Bledsoe, Wake Forest
D:  Kathryn Williamson, Florida
D: Kerry McBride, Marquette
D: Lizzy Simonin, Memphis
MF: Amber Brooks, North Carolina^
MF: Mallory Schaffer, William & Mary
MF: Vanessa DiBernardo, Illinois
F: Kristen Hamilton, Denver
F: Nkem Ezurike, Michigan
F: Maya Hayes, Penn State
F: Lauren Bohaboy, Notre Dame
^ - Player of the Week

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