Florida Gators

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Goals rained for Florida soccer in Thursday's 6-0 win at Kentucky. Four different Gators scored Thursday, which includes the opening three goals from senior Laís Araujo.
 
The victory snapped UF's seven-match winless streak.

 
Thursday's Scoring:
Florida opened up scoring in the 14^th minute when a pair of seniors connected. Mayra Pelayo's cross from deep in the Kentucky half found Araujo making a run through the center of the box. Araujo took a touch and then scored from 12 yards.
 
Araujo scored again in the 24^th minute. From just above the box, Madison Alexander sent a ball ahead into space. Araujo caught up and put in a right-footed angled shot to the far post.
 
It was a hat-trick for Araujo when she scored an unassisted goal in the 32^nd minute. Her shot from 25 yards deflected off the back of a Wildcat defender. Araujo gathered up the ball, took a touch and then launched 25-yard shot that scored at the far post.
 
The lead pushed out to 4-0 when Alyssa Howell scored her first collegiate goal in the 45^th minute. Cassidy Lindley moved down the left side of the box and then moved toward goal. Howell chested the cross from Lindley off the crossbar and into the goal.
 
Florida opened its second half scoring in the 65^th minute. From deep in the UK half, Sammie Betters crossed the ball to the far post. The ball deflected off a Wildcat and Melanie Monteagudo touched the ball across the face of goal for Alexander's tap-in.
 
Pelayo finished the evening's scoring in the 81^st minute. Betters took the ball to the UK endline and the cross she sent was put in by a sliding Pelayo foot from five yards.
 
Quick Hits:

• Araujo recorded Florida's first hat-trick since Savannah Jordan scored three goals at Miami on Aug. 27, 2015.
• Howell scored her first collegiate goal in front of 27 friends and family who made the trip from Farmersville, Ohio.
• Two Gators added a goal to go with their pair of assists tonight. Alexander scored her third goal of the season to equal her collegiate-high season total. Pelayo posted her first of 2018 and the 10^th goal of her Gator career.
• The shutout was Florida's second of the season. The clean sheet is the 24^th for Kaylan Marckese, putting her three away from tying the school record for career solo shutouts.
• This was the most goals for the Gators since a 6-0 win versus Alabama (Oct. 20, 2016).
• Florida is now 17-6-1 all-time in its first SEC road match. UF's last opened league road play with a win in 2016 (2-1 overtime win at Kentucky).

 
Speedy Hat-Trick
Araujo recorded her first hat-trick in span of 18 minutes and 24 seconds - the sixth fastest hat-trick in school history.
 
It has been 17 years since a Gator scored a hat-trick in less than 19 minutes.
 

Top Seven Quickest Hat-Tricks by a Gator
Min	Sec	Name	Opponent	Date
5	49	Jill Stevens	Mississippi State	10/16/1998
11	45	Danielle Fotopoulos	Auburn	11/9/1996
14	35	Melissa Pini	Mississippi	10/18/1998
14	17	Andi Sellers	Mississippi	10/28/2001
17	47	Abby Wambach	Mississippi State	10/26/2001
18	24	Laís Araujo	Kentucky	9/20/2018
18	47	Danielle Fotopoulos	Mississippi	10/18/1998

Araujo is the 13th in the program's 24 year history to record a hat-trick. Her hat-trick at Kentucky was the 35th for Florida.

Consecutive Goals:
WhenAraujo opened the scoring tonight with a hat-trick, it marked her fourth consecutive goal as she scored the only UF goal in the Sept. 16 Vanderbilt match.
 
Two current Gators provided Florida with four consecutive goals – Araujo and Deanne Rose.
 

Gators with Four or More Consecutive Goals
# of goals	Player	Started (# of goals)	Ended
7	Danielle Fotopoulos	11/9/96 (6)	11/10/96 (1)
5	Savannah Jordan	8/23/13 (2)	8/25/13 (3)
5	Abby Wambach	11/2/00 (4)	11/3/00 (1)
4	Laís Araujo	9/16/18 (1)	9/20/18 (3)
4	Deanne Rose	9/17/17 (2)	9/21/17 (1)
4	Abby Wambach	11/16/01 (1)	11/18/01 (3)
4	Andi Sellers	10/26/97 (1)	10/31/97 (3)

 
Hear from the Gators:
On tonight's performance:
"I did feel in was coming in practice. We were starting have some good combinations and think the team felt good, I think the team's ability to stay positive throughout all the adversity we've had played a big role in winning tonight.
 
The shutout was huge. Besides a chance really early, the backline played pretty flawlessly. Thought that also was a big step forward for us." – Florida Head Coach Becky Burleigh.
 
What was it like out there tonight?
"It fun. It was really fun and it felt really good to get a win. I'm really really excited – especially because we got a shutout. We've been working on it and progressing since the games we've lost. So tonight's win feels really good." – senior midfielder Lais Araujo
 
Last time you had a hat-trick:
"It was actually my first time. I got my first hat-trick as a Gator!" – senior midfielder Lais Araujo
 
Interviews with Lais Araujo, Alyssa Howell, Madison Alexander, Mayra Pelay & Kaylan Marckese in Soccer Postgame 9-20-18

2018 Records:
Florida: 3-6-1, 1-1 SEC
Kentucky: 4-7, 0-2 SEC
 
Series Record:
Florida leads 22-4-3.
 
Next Up:
There are two challenges Sunday at the Donald R. Dizney Stadium.
 
First: Gators look for a win versus LSU.
After the match: Help set the World Record for selfies! Be a part of the effort to set the Guinness World Record for the greatest number of selfies taken with different people in a three-minute span.
 
You can help Gator sophomore Lauren Evans celebrate her successful fight against cancer by joining her in her attempt to set the world selfie record.
 
September is Pediatric Cancer Awareness month. Everyone who joins Lo for a selfie gets a special gift.
 
Be sure to wear orange Sunday to show your support for the fight against pediatric cancer (plus orange looks great in selfies!)
 
Follow Sunday's match:
                SEC Network +
                GatorVision (audio)
                Live Stats
 
Florida (3-6-1, 1-1 SEC) at Kentucky (4-7, 0-2 SEC)
Wendell & Vickie Bell Soccer Complex (1,201)
Weather: 86 degrees, winds S 5 mph, 57% humidity
 

Goals by Period	1	2	Total
Florida	4	2	6
Kentucky	0	0	0

 
Scoring Summary:

No.	Time	Team	Goal Scorer	Assist	Description
1.	13:42	UF	Laís Araujo	Mayra Pelayo, Madison Alexander	Cross from wide service, finished in box
2.	23:42	UF	Laís Araujo	Alexander, Pelayo	Vertical service, finished through keeper
3.	31:06	UF	Laís Araujo	Unassisted	Long distance shot off a blocked clearance
4.	44:13	UF	Alyssa Howell	Cassidy Lindley	Off the crossbar and in
5.	64:09	UF	Madison Alexander	Melanie Monteagudo	Tap in off deep cross
6.	80:37	UF	Mayra Pelayo	Sammie Betters	Finished inside six from wide service

 
Shots: UF 14, UK 4
Saves: UF 3 (Kaylan Marckese 3), UK 0 (Hannah Leonard 0)