Senior Katie Fraine needed only two saves Sunday to record her sixth shutout of the season and the 23rd of her career as No. 6 Florida overcame a tough Mississippi defensive effort with a 3-0 victory at the James G. Pressly Stadium.
“You know the first half I thought we were just getting a bit frustrated with the defense that Ole Miss was playing. They were trying to put a whole bunch of people behind the ball and we had to try to deal with that,” Florida coach Becky Burleigh said. “The second half I thought we really wore them down and kind of made them pay for putting all of those people behind the ball.”
Florida’s first goal came on a Mississippi mistake at 20:06 of the first half. Mississippi’s Kendyl Mygatt attempted to clear Jazmyne Avant’s serve into the box for Tahnai Annis and McKenzie Barney, but the misdirected ball went into the UM goal for the first own goal scored for the Gators since UF’s 2-1, double-overtime loss at Indiana on Sept. 4, 2009.
The Gators scored two goals in the second half. Senior Nicky Kit scored the first goal at 73:46 off an Annis’ corner kick. Kit’s 20-yard left-footed blast beat goalie Sarah Story at the near post. The goal came after Florida had taken 11 shots.
“I was just getting tired of us not putting it away so I said, ‘What the heck’. I put my head down and kicked as hard as I could and I got lucky and it deflected,” Kit said.
With time winding down, McKenzie Barney kept her school-record streak of home goals alive at nine in the 90th minute. Ashlee Elliott started the play by receiving a Mississippi punt just past the midfield line and moved the ball forward to Caroline Triglia, who came down the middle of the field and passed the ball to Barney, who was on the right side of the box. Barney knocked home the ball from five yards out at 89:34. It was Barney’s SEC-leading ninth goal of the season.
The Gators (10-1-1, 4-0 SEC) travel Friday to SEC Western Division leader Alabama (8-2-1, 3-0-1 SEC) for an 8 p.m. ET match (Fox Sports-Florida). The Gators then visit Auburn (8-4, 2-2 SEC) Sunday at 3 p.m. ET (ESPNU).
FLORIDA 3, MISSISSIPPI 0
James G. Pressly Stadium / Gainesville, Fla. / Sunday, Oct. 3, 2010
Score by periods 1 2—T
Mississippi 0 0—0
Florida 1 2—3
Scoring
UF—Mississippi own goal, 20:06.
UF—Nicky Kit (Tahnai Annis), 73:46
UF—McKenzie Barney (Caroline Triglia), 89:34
Goalkeepers Min Svs GA
Sarah Story (Mississippi) 90:00 5 3
Katie Fraine (Florida) 90:00 2 0
Statistical UM UF
Shots 5 18
Shots on goal 2 8
Saves 5 2
Corner Kicks 2 7
Fouls 4 7
Offside 1 3