Friday night proved to be as good of a time as any for freshman Havana Solaun to emerge as a serious playmaker for the UF soccer team.
Solaun, a midfielder who hails from Gainesville, put two goals into the back of the net as the No. 11 Gators (13-3, 6-1 SEC) rolled to a 2-0 win over Ole Miss (5-9-1, 1-6) in Oxford on Friday night.
The win, combined with losses by Tennessee and LSU on Friday night, moves Florida into a one-game lead in SEC league play with four matches to go. The Vols, Tigers and South Carolina all sit in a tie for second with 5-2 marks against conference foes.
Florida took the lead in the first half at the 33-minute mark against Ole Miss, as Solaun took a crossing pass from junior defender Jo Dragotta (Tampa, Fla.) and scored from the penalty spot into the far post corner.
UF would get an insurance goal at the 76-minute mark when senior defender Jazmyne Avant (Dallas, Tex.) took a through ball off of an Ole Miss turnover, and sent a pass from near the end-line into Solaun, who was streaking into the six-yard box. Solaun would redirect the pass at the far post for her fifth goal of the season.
Now with at least one point in five of the past six matches, Solaun is turning into a reliable scorer for the Gators as they start to move towards post-season play.
“The coaches were really emphasizing to get in the box because Jazmyne was making amazing runs all game and getting the ball in the box. We couldn’t seem to get on the end of them,” Solaun said after the match. “Jaz made another great run and crossed it right to me. I just had to stand there and put it in.”
Although Florida was able to out-shoot Ole Miss by a margin of 16-3 on the evening, head coach Becky Burleigh wasn’t completely happy with the lack of opportunities the Gators were able to convert into the next against the Rebels.
“I think it was a little frustrating at times that we didn’t execute a little bit better but ultimately we limited their opportunities, which is something we went into the weekend having as a goal,” Burleigh pointed out. “We got two goals and that was enough. I would have liked to be more efficient, but in terms of us keeping possession, we had the ball most of the game.”
The Gators hope to extend their lead in the conference standings on Sunday when they meet Mississippi State in Starkville, Miss., at 2 p.m. ET. Live, streaming video of Sunday’s match is available on GatorVision. The match can also be heard on WRUF SportsRadio 850, by simulcast on Cox Channel 946 (Gainesville/Ocala) or on http://www.GatorZone.com with Adam Schick and Matthew Stubbington calling the action.