CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The 26-season Florida coaching career of
Becky Burleigh closed with a 2-0 win over Miami Saturday afternoon at Cobb Stadium.
Saturday's match was the final as Gators for Head Coach
Becky Burleigh, Associate Coaches
Vic Campbell and
Alan Kirkup plus Florida's eight member senior class.
Burleigh announced in January she would retire from coaching at the end of the 2020-21 season.
Burleigh is the only coach in the 26-season history of Gator soccer. She finishes with a 431-137-40 UF record with the Gators that includes a league-leading 14 Southeastern Conference titles, 22 NCAA Tournament appearances
and the 1998 NCAA team title.
More on Becky Burleigh's UF impact by Chris Harry
Saturday's Scoring:
Florida scored in the fifth minute when freshman
Beata Olsson intercepted a pass between Miami defenders. Her shot hit the far post and she raced across the mouth of the goal to put in the deflection from four yards.
The goal pushes Olsson's team-leading goals total to seven – all scored since she enrolled at UF this spring. Olsson is the reigning
Southeastern Conference Offensive Player of the Week.
Junior
Samantha Tobar pushed the score out to the final 2-0 margin in the 81
st minute. The play started with senior
Madison Alexander sending the ball right for sophomore
Kouri Peace to catch up to just inside the box. Peace's square pass to Tobar located at top of the box was calmly placed in with a left-footed strike.
It was Tobar's first goal of her Gator career.
The shutout was the Gators third of the spring and UF goalkeeper
Susi Espinoza closes her career with 11 clean sheets.
Becky Burleigh Said:
"It was great to finish with a shutout and we appreciate Miami working hard to make it happen.
"It's a surreal moment for this chapter to be over but I'm really excited for the future of Gator soccer.
"I have so much gratitude for my years as a Gator and I will always be UF soccer's number one fan."
Florida (6-8-3) at Miami (1-11-1, 0-8) |
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Attendance: 150 |
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Stadium: Cobb Stadium, Coral Gables, Fla. |
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Goals by Period |
1 |
2 |
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Total |
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Florida |
1 |
1 |
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2 |
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Miami |
0 |
0 |
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0 |
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Scoring Summary: |
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No. |
Time |
Team |
Goal Scorer |
Assist |
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1. |
04:28 |
UF |
Beata Olsson(7) |
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2. |
80:41 |
UF |
Samantha Tobar (1) |
Kouri Peace |
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Shots: Florida 10, Miami 5 |
Saves: Florida 3 (Susi Espinoza 2, TEAM 1), Miami 2 (Naomi Mbandu) |
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