TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Fresh from Florida Sunshine Showdown was decided in the final minutes, with No. 3 Florida State taking a 1-0 win over Florida Friday evening at the Seminole Soccer Complex.
 
Friday's Match:
It was a gritty performance by the Gators.

• Florida was without All-Southeastern Conference performer Parker Roberts. She remained back in Gainesville after undergoing surgery Friday morning on a foot fracture.
• The Gators played a man-down for the final 23 minutes after senior Laís Araujo received her second yellow card
• All-SEC senior defender Rachelle Smith left the field with a left leg injury with 18 minutes remaining in the second half.

 
Player gone. Player down. Player injured.
 
None of that showed in the Gators' performance on the field.
 
The Gators and Seminoles battled the entire evening. The Seminoles outshot the Gators 23-3, with the Gators getting great looks for its final two shots. On a counter attack, Araujo's shot from 12 yards was stopped by FSU goalkeeper Brooke Bollinger. Later in the second half, Briana Solis' 16 yard curling shot nearly caught the upper corner.
 
When it looked like it would be overtime for the second consecutive Friday for both teams, FSU's Deyna Castellano took a hard 24-yard shot. Kristen McFarland's left-footed touch on the deflection scored from six yards in the 88^th minute.

 
Delays Again
Friday's match was the first between the two teams in Tallahassee since 2014 as Hurricane Hermine forced the cancellation of the 2016 meeting.
 
Last season's meeting in Gainesville was delayed a bit over a month due to Hurricane Irma.
 
Although not nearly as lengthy as the past two hurricane delays, Friday's weather did cause a delay. The teams were pulled from the field after seven minutes of second half play due to lightning in the area. Play resumed after a 47-minute delay.
 
To Note:

• Friday's result was the fifth consecutive match Florida was shutout. The Gators last scored in the 4-2 win versus Florida Atlantic on Aug. 19.
• Today's result extends Florida's scoreless streak to 517 minutes. The previous record of 315 scoreless minutes came in the 1995 season.
• Tonight's match ended a three-game stretch versus top-10 teams. Last Friday, Florida played then No. 2 UCLA to a scoreless tie and lost 3-0 to then No. 7 Southern Cal on Sunday. Today, the Gators dropped a 1-0 decision at No. 3 Florida State.
• A single goal decided nine of the last 12 meetings between UF and FSU.
• For the second consecutive Friday night, senior Kaylan Marckese turned in a career-high eight saves.

 
It's a Draw:
Tonight's crowd of 3,379 stands No. 3 on Florida State soccer's top attendance lists.
 
Four of the top five crowds in Seminole Soccer history are against the Gators.
Sept. 8, 2006        4,582      FSU 1, UF 0
Sept. 5, 2014        3,569      UF 2, FSU 1
Sept. 7, 2018        3,379      FSU 1, UF 0
Sept. 13, 2012      2,300      FSU 1, Duke 0
Aug. 31, 2012       2,243      FSU 1, UF 0
 

What the Becky Burleigh Said:
On tonight's match:
"That was just epic. It was heartbreaking as so much was stacked against us. Whether it was playing with 10 people, losing Rachelle [Smith] – you name it. We had chances to put one away. I really thought we were going to steal [a win] one.
 
"Credit Florida State for finding the back of the net. They have a really good team. They are ranked No. 3 right now, but in my mind, they are the best team in the country.
 
"Our ability to battle with that was quite a performance. We have to trust that the universe will reward us at some point." – Florida Head Coach Becky Burleigh
 
Preseason Conference Votes:
Florida took third in the 2017 Southeastern Conference regular-season standings. Florida State was seventh in the 2017 Atlantic Coast Conference standings.
 
Florida – The SEC coaches picked the Gators to win the 2018 SEC title.
 
FSU– The Seminoles are picked to finish second in the ACC. North Carolina is the ACC's preseason pick to win the league.
 
Rankings:
Florida is receiving votes on the Sept. 4 United Soccer Coaches (USC) poll and Florida State is No. 3.
 
Next Up:
Florida meets its third in-state opponent of the season Sunday in Orlando. The Gators face Central Florida and match time is set for 6 p.m. at the UCF Track & Soccer Complex.
 
Follow Sunday's match:
                UCF Knights TV (subscription required)
                ESPN Gainesville 98.1 FM / 850 AM
 
RV Florida (2-4-1, 0-0 SEC) at No. 3 Florida State (6-0-1, 0-0 ACC)
Seminole Soccer Complex (3,379)
Weather: 82 degrees, winds ENE 5 mph, 73% humidity
 

Goals by Period	1	2	Total
Florida	0	0	0
Florida State	0	1	1

 
Scoring Summary:

No.	Time	Team	Goal Scorer	Assist	Description
1.	87:49	FSU	Kristen McFarland	Deyna Castellano	Finish off deflection

 
Shots: Florida 3, FSU 23
Saves: Florida 8 (Kaylan Marckese 8); FSU 3 (Brooke Bollinger 3)
 
Cautions: Lais Araujo/UF (yellow 63:19), Lais Araujo/UF (yellow 67:09)