Thursday, October 22
Gainesville, FL
7 p.m.
Florida Gators
vs
Auburn
The Gators return home Thursday to play host to No. 25 Auburn. The match kicks off a SEC Network soccer doubleheader on Thursday.
Tuesday, October 20, 2026 | Soccer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida soccer (6-6-3, 2-4-2 SEC) opens a two-match homestand Thursday to close regular season action. The Oct. 22 match versus No. 25 Auburn kicks off an SEC Network soccer doubleheader.
This is Florida's sixth opponent that ranked among the IWSOC Coaches Poll in partnership with United Soccer CoachesTop-25 Poll at the time of meeting – the leading total among SEC programs.
Florida's 2026 schedule ranks No. 12 on the Oct. 19 NCAA Toughest Schedule list. The only other SEC team in the top 20 is LSU at No. 15.
Thursday, Oct. 22 versus No. 25 Auburn (8-2-5, 4-2-2 SEC)
Time/Site: 7 p.m. ET at Donald R. Dizney Stadium
TV: SEC Network Jill Loyden and Mike Watts with the call
Radio: 850 AM WRUF Nevada Cullen and Ryan Urquhart with the call
Live Stats
Admission: Free
Promotions: Greek Night: The first 100 fans receive a free Gators Soccer T-shirt, while the first 100 students receive free pizza
Admission is free for all Gator soccer regular-season home matches. 2026 Florida Soccer Promotions
The two head coaches on the sideline Thursday share a history of success at Mississippi State. James Armstrong was named the Bulldogs' head coach Jan. 18, 2019, and made Nick Zimmerman his first staff hire five days later. Together, they helped transform Mississippi State from a tie for 10th in the SEC in their first season to the 2024 SEC regular-season title with a 10-0 conference record. On Dec. 3, 2024, Armstrong accepted the head coaching position at Auburn, and Zimmerman, then Mississippi State's associate head coach, was named his successor that same day.
Did You Know?
The Oct. 20 United Soccer Coaches Top-25 Poll includes five SEC teams – No. 1 Vanderbilt, No. 7 Alabama, No. 11 South Carolina, No. 23 Arkansas and No. 25 Auburn.
Only Florida and Tennessee have all five Southeastern Conference teams ranked in the current poll on their 2026 league schedules.
Florida's Last Match
Arkansas scored with seven seconds remaining to hand Florida a 2-1 loss Sunday afternoon at Razorback Field. Freshman MacKenzie Gwin scored the game-winner at 89:53, completing Arkansas' second-half comeback after Florida took a 1-0 lead into halftime on Katie Johnston's fourth goal of the season.
Johnston put Florida ahead, scoring on her first shot of the match. Zoe Main collected her team-leading sixth assist of the season, finding Johnston just outside the penalty area. Johnston moved across the top of the box before sending a left-footed shot into the goal at 43:00.
Arkansas tied the match in the 57th minute when Madden McDonald sent in a corner kick that was headed in by Kyndal Ewertz from six yards.
Florida nearly regained the lead in the 81st minute when Johnston's left-footed shot from the top of the box struck the far post. A minute later, Kyra Taylor nearly put the Gators ahead with a curling left-footed shot toward the far post, but Arkansas goalkeeper Keegan Smith made a diving save.
Arkansas broke the tie in the final seconds. After receiving a flicked-on ball near midfield in Florida's half, Gwin drove toward goal and scored on a left-footed shot from 10 yards out.
About Auburn
Auburn posted a 5-6-7 record in 2025 and was 12th in the SEC regular-season standings with a 1-3-6 record. Auburn returned to the United Soccer Coaches top 25 at No. 21 on Oct. 13 for the first time since the first week of October 2024. Auburn is No. 25 in the Oct. 20 poll.
The Tigers have faced three IWSOC Coaches poll ranked teams in 2026, defeating then-No. 13 Tennessee 1-0, losing to then-No. 11 Alabama 1-0 and opening the season with a scoreless tie versus then-No. 25 Clemson. Redshirt senior Dylan Driver leads the Tigers with six goals and 14 points.
Junior Ayana Yapo has started all 15 matches in goal for Auburn and her goals-against-average of 0.273 is the nation's second lowest.
This is Florida's sixth opponent that ranked among the IWSOC Coaches Poll in partnership with United Soccer CoachesTop-25 Poll at the time of meeting – the leading total among SEC programs.
Florida's 2026 schedule ranks No. 12 on the Oct. 19 NCAA Toughest Schedule list. The only other SEC team in the top 20 is LSU at No. 15.
Thursday, Oct. 22 versus No. 25 Auburn (8-2-5, 4-2-2 SEC)
Time/Site: 7 p.m. ET at Donald R. Dizney Stadium
TV: SEC Network Jill Loyden and Mike Watts with the call
Radio: 850 AM WRUF Nevada Cullen and Ryan Urquhart with the call
Live Stats
Admission: Free
Promotions: Greek Night: The first 100 fans receive a free Gators Soccer T-shirt, while the first 100 students receive free pizza
Admission is free for all Gator soccer regular-season home matches. 2026 Florida Soccer Promotions
The two head coaches on the sideline Thursday share a history of success at Mississippi State. James Armstrong was named the Bulldogs' head coach Jan. 18, 2019, and made Nick Zimmerman his first staff hire five days later. Together, they helped transform Mississippi State from a tie for 10th in the SEC in their first season to the 2024 SEC regular-season title with a 10-0 conference record. On Dec. 3, 2024, Armstrong accepted the head coaching position at Auburn, and Zimmerman, then Mississippi State's associate head coach, was named his successor that same day.
Did You Know?
The Oct. 20 United Soccer Coaches Top-25 Poll includes five SEC teams – No. 1 Vanderbilt, No. 7 Alabama, No. 11 South Carolina, No. 23 Arkansas and No. 25 Auburn.
Only Florida and Tennessee have all five Southeastern Conference teams ranked in the current poll on their 2026 league schedules.
Florida's Last Match
Arkansas scored with seven seconds remaining to hand Florida a 2-1 loss Sunday afternoon at Razorback Field. Freshman MacKenzie Gwin scored the game-winner at 89:53, completing Arkansas' second-half comeback after Florida took a 1-0 lead into halftime on Katie Johnston's fourth goal of the season.
Johnston put Florida ahead, scoring on her first shot of the match. Zoe Main collected her team-leading sixth assist of the season, finding Johnston just outside the penalty area. Johnston moved across the top of the box before sending a left-footed shot into the goal at 43:00.
Arkansas tied the match in the 57th minute when Madden McDonald sent in a corner kick that was headed in by Kyndal Ewertz from six yards.
Florida nearly regained the lead in the 81st minute when Johnston's left-footed shot from the top of the box struck the far post. A minute later, Kyra Taylor nearly put the Gators ahead with a curling left-footed shot toward the far post, but Arkansas goalkeeper Keegan Smith made a diving save.
Arkansas broke the tie in the final seconds. After receiving a flicked-on ball near midfield in Florida's half, Gwin drove toward goal and scored on a left-footed shot from 10 yards out.
About Auburn
Auburn posted a 5-6-7 record in 2025 and was 12th in the SEC regular-season standings with a 1-3-6 record. Auburn returned to the United Soccer Coaches top 25 at No. 21 on Oct. 13 for the first time since the first week of October 2024. Auburn is No. 25 in the Oct. 20 poll.
The Tigers have faced three IWSOC Coaches poll ranked teams in 2026, defeating then-No. 13 Tennessee 1-0, losing to then-No. 11 Alabama 1-0 and opening the season with a scoreless tie versus then-No. 25 Clemson. Redshirt senior Dylan Driver leads the Tigers with six goals and 14 points.
Junior Ayana Yapo has started all 15 matches in goal for Auburn and her goals-against-average of 0.273 is the nation's second lowest.
Players Mentioned
D
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