Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida soccer (2-1, 0-0 SEC) finishes a three-match homestand Thursday versus undefeated Central Florida and then heads north to face Maryland on Sunday.
 
Thursday, Aug. 28 versus UCF
    Time/Site: 7 p.m. at Donald R. Dizney Stadium
    Streaming Video: ESPN + Announcers: Ryan Urquhart and Matthew Stubbington
    Audio Stream: Sky Lebron and Marty Pallman calling the action
    Live Stats
    Admission: Free
    Promotions: Get your face painted, get a balloon animal and let the young Gator fans play in the kids zone pre-match. Sign up to win a pair of tailgate chairs. Florida Dazzlers and cheerleaders will be at The Diz, with the Dazzler performing at halftime.  2025 Gator Soccer Home Promotions Schedule
 
Sunday, Aug. 31 at Maryland
    Time/Site: Noon at Ludwig Field
    Streaming Video: Big Ten + with Dash Tischler calling the action
    Live Stats
    Tickets: $14-19
 
Did You Know?
Eight Gators scored 13 goals during the course of the 2024 season.
 
Already through three matches of 2025, seven Gators scored nine goals. That goals total is tied for 10th among NCAA teams playing three matches so far this season. It is the highest number of goals scored for the Gators since nine were also scored in the opening three matches of the 2017 season.
 
Of the seven 2025 Gator goal scorers, six hit their first collegiate goals.
                Freshmen:            Katie Johnston (2), Sophia Sindelar, Kai Tsakiris
                Sophomore:         Skye Barnes
                Junior:                  Tatum O'Coyne
                Senior:                  Njeri Butts (2)
 

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Lena Bailey is the only one of Florida's seven 2025 scorers who came into the season with goals in 2023 (4) and 2024 (2).
 
Florida's Opening Home Weekend:
Florida pushed its all-time home opener record to 25-3-3 with the 4-2 win versus Towson. Three first-time collegiate scorers provided all of Florida's scoring. Freshman Katie Johnston became the 22^nd in program history to open her collegiate scoring with two or more goals. She was a part of all the goals, providing the assist on senior Njeri Butts' first half goal and serving up the corner kick for sophomore Skye Barnes' score.
 
The Gators registered their first shutout Sunday in a 5-0 win versus North Florida. Five different Gators scored, with three – Kai Tsakiris, Sophia Sindelar and Tatum O'Coyne – registering their first collegiate goals. Junior Lena Bailey closed the opening half with the seventh goal of her career and first of the season. Butts made it a two-goal weekend, scoring her second collegiate goal to open the second half scoring.
 
About Upcoming Opponents:
UCF (4-0, 0-0 Big 12)
UCF was 3-6-6 in 2024 and tied for 13^th in the Big 12 regular-season standings with a 1-5-4 record. In 2025, the Knights are picked to finish 12^th among the 16 Big 12 teams. 
 
The Knights started the 2025 season with four consecutive wins – at Alabama-Birmingham (2-1), Florida Atlantic (3-1), South Carolina (4-1) and Louisiana State (2-1). UCF is among the 33 undefeated teams remaining through the first two weeks of the season. Senior Liz Worden is in her first season at UCF and is the team's points leader off two goals and three assists. Redshirt sophomore Genesis Perez Watson has played every minute in goal this season for UCF and owns a goals-against-average of 1.0. She started each of Costa Rica's three matches in 2024 FIFA U20 Women's World Cup.
 
Thursday's match brings together a pair of past U.S. National Team members.
 
Florida's Samantha Bohon was part of the 1999 Women's World Cup Residency Program and UCF's Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak was on the U.S. roster that won 1999 World Cup gold in front of a packed Rose Bowl Stadium crowd.
 
Maryland (3-1, 0-0 Big Ten)
Maryland was 4-10-5 in 2024 and tied for 15^th in the Big Ten regular-season standings with a 1-8-2 record. In 2025, the Terrapins are picked to finish 18^th among the Big Ten teams. 
 
Three Terrapins are among the 2025 Big Ten Players to Watch – seniors Kelsey Smith (forward), Tahirah Turnage-Morales (defender) and sophomore Emily Lenhard (midfield). The Terrapins started the 2025 season with three consecutive wins – versus Lehigh (3-0), Saint Francis (5-0), Maryland-Baltimore County (1-0) and opened road action with a 2-0 loss at Old Dominion. Smith is UM's points leader off three goals and one assist.  Redshirt sophomore Faith Luckey is making her first appearance in collegiate action this season and has played every minute in goal this season for Maryland. She owns a goals-against-average of 0.51.