GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida scored a pair of first-half goals en route to a 3-1 win over the University of South Alabama in the first round of the NCAA Women's Soccer Tournament Friday night at Donald R. Dizney Stadium.
The Jaguars end their 2017 campaign with a 14-6-1 record. The Gators move on to the second round with a 15-6 mark.
GAME FACTS
- South Alabama held Florida to just four shots – and only one on goal – in the first 33 minutes until the Gators finally broke through
- Florida didn't seriously test USA sophomore goalkeeper Justice Stanford until the 29th minute when a shot by Mayra Pelayo was tipped over the bar
- The Gators broke the scoreless deadlock at 33:54 when Sarah Troccoli fed Gabby Seiler on a throughball in the left channel, and Seiler found Madison Alexander wide open at the top of the six-yard box, who tapped it in
- Melanie Monteagudo added to the Gators' lead 10 minutes later, fighting through two Jaguar defenders and drilling a shot in off the right post from the top of the penalty area
- Troccoli and Monteagudo teamed up for Florida's third goal of the night at 54:03
- USA junior Audrey Duren scored her first career goal in the 85th minute to make it a 3-1 scoreline after taking advantage of a bad backpass to the keeper
- Stanford allowed all three goals and made two saves in 90 minutes for the Jags
- Florida's Kaylan Marckese was not called upon to make a save and permitted the one goal
- The Gators outshot the Jaguars 11-4 and held a 5-1 advantage in shots on goal
- UF will face either South Florida or Florida Gulf Coast in the round of 32
NOTES
- South Alabama dropped to 1-5 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, and 1-2 against the SEC in postseason play
- Rio Hardy ends her career second in school history with 43 goals and 103 points, and is the Jaguars' all-time leader in game-winning goals (14)
- Hardy's 16 goals this season are tied for third at USA, and her 37 points are tied for sixth
- Stanford finishes the year with a 0.