Sunday, September 6
Gainesville, FL
12 p.m.
Florida Gators
4-2-1, 0-0-0
1
vs
2
Wake Forest
7-0-0, 0-0-0
| Team | 1 | 2 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wake Forest | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Florida | 0 | 1 | 1 |
The Gators celebrate with Tatum Borman (center) after she scored the tying goal Sunday versus No. 5 Wake Forest. The Deacons scored on a penalty kick in the 80th minute to take a 2-1 win.
No. 21 Florida Falls 2-1 to No. 5 Wake Forest
Sunday, September 6, 2026 | Soccer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — No. 21 Florida soccer created chances, answered a first-half deficit and became the first team to score against No. 5 Wake Forest this season, but an 80th-minute penalty kick allowed the Demon Deacons to escape Donald R. Dizney Stadium with a 2-1 win Sunday.
Sophomore Tatum Borman scored Florida's equalizer in the 58th minute, netting her first goal of the season before a crowd of 1,098 in the Gators' nonconference finale.
Sunday's Scoring
Wake Forest scored on its first corner-kick opportunity. Riley Cross sent the ball into the penalty area, where it deflected off a Florida defender toward the top of the box. Sierra Sythe settled the ball before sending a right-footed shot into the far corner.
Borman made the most of her second shot of the match to pull the Gators level in the 58th minute.
Borman's first attempt, taken in the 31st minute, struck the crossbar. When a Wake Forest deflection off a deep cross from Kelsey Smith reached Borman in nearly the same spot, she sent a right-footed shot from above the penalty arc toward the goal. Demon Deacons goalkeeper Valentina Amaral got a touch on the shot but could not keep it out.
The goal was Borman's first of the season and knocked Wake Forest from the list of five teams that entered Sunday's action without having conceded a goal.
The Demon Deacons were awarded a penalty kick in the 80th minute after Lael Hill clipped Wake Forest's Henley Tippins inside the penalty area. Sythe converted the penalty to give Wake Forest the final 2-1 advantage.
Did You Know?
Coach Zimmerman Said
"Super proud of the group. We created a lot of really good chances. That team's No. 5 in the country. They went to the College Cup two years ago and they returned basically every single starter. I thought we were very, very good. We gave them everything they could handle and dominated long stretches of the game. Sometimes football is cruel that way, but I'm incredibly proud of the group, the chances we created and the fight to come back, tie it and continue going all the way to the end." — Florida head coach Nick Zimmerman
"We added Wake when I got here, and it was for this exact reason. We want to play teams that challenge us and we can learn a lot from it. We want to be in these games because that's who we are. That's the type of program we want. We scheduled this. This was our decision, and I'm glad we did because this was a great game and a great experience for us." — Florida head coach Nick Zimmerman
Records
Florida: 4-2-1, 0-0-0 SEC
Wake Forest: 7-0-0, 0-0-0 ACC
Series
Florida leads 3-1
Next Up
Florida opens Southeastern Conference action Thursday at No. 20 South Carolina. The Gamecocks will close non-conference action later today with a home match versus College of Charleston.
at No. 20 South Carolina
Date: Thursday, Sept. 10
Time: 7 p.m. ET at Eugene E. Stone III Stadium
Streaming Video: SEC Network + Announcers: Brad Muller and Zander Collins
Live Stats
Admission: $11 – adults / $6 - youth
Wake Forest (7-0-0, 0-0-0 ACC) at Florida (4-2-1, 0-0 SEC)
Stadium: Donald R. Dizney Stadium (1,098)
Weather: 90 degrees, 63% humidity, Winds at 7 mph, Partly Sunny
Scoring Summary:
Shots: WFU 9; Florida 8
Saves: WFU (Valentina Amaral 1); Florida 2 (Jayden Emmanuel 2)
Cautions: None
Sophomore Tatum Borman scored Florida's equalizer in the 58th minute, netting her first goal of the season before a crowd of 1,098 in the Gators' nonconference finale.
Sunday's Scoring
Wake Forest scored on its first corner-kick opportunity. Riley Cross sent the ball into the penalty area, where it deflected off a Florida defender toward the top of the box. Sierra Sythe settled the ball before sending a right-footed shot into the far corner.
FROM WAYY OUT 🚀
— Gators Soccer (@GatorsSoccer) September 6, 2026
Tatum Borman's first Gator Goal marks the first goal scored against the Demon Deacons this season
🎥 SEC Network+ pic.twitter.com/eVzxVC5yON
Borman made the most of her second shot of the match to pull the Gators level in the 58th minute.
Borman's first attempt, taken in the 31st minute, struck the crossbar. When a Wake Forest deflection off a deep cross from Kelsey Smith reached Borman in nearly the same spot, she sent a right-footed shot from above the penalty arc toward the goal. Demon Deacons goalkeeper Valentina Amaral got a touch on the shot but could not keep it out.
The goal was Borman's first of the season and knocked Wake Forest from the list of five teams that entered Sunday's action without having conceded a goal.
The Demon Deacons were awarded a penalty kick in the 80th minute after Lael Hill clipped Wake Forest's Henley Tippins inside the penalty area. Sythe converted the penalty to give Wake Forest the final 2-1 advantage.
Did You Know?
- Florida, UCLA and Florida International are the nation's only teams to face two top-five opponents through the first weekend of September. The Gators defeated then-No. 3 Florida State 3-1 on Aug. 23 before Sunday's 2-1 loss to No. 5 Wake Forest. Florida is the only team in that group to split its two top-five matches.
- Florida has faced two top-five opponents within its opening seven matches eight times since 2006. This is the fourth time the Gators have split those meetings and the first since 2014.
- Borman is the 10th Gator to score through Florida's first seven matches.
- Sunday's attendance of 1,098 ranks 12th all-time among soccer matches at Dizney Stadium.
Coach Zimmerman Said
"Super proud of the group. We created a lot of really good chances. That team's No. 5 in the country. They went to the College Cup two years ago and they returned basically every single starter. I thought we were very, very good. We gave them everything they could handle and dominated long stretches of the game. Sometimes football is cruel that way, but I'm incredibly proud of the group, the chances we created and the fight to come back, tie it and continue going all the way to the end." — Florida head coach Nick Zimmerman
"We added Wake when I got here, and it was for this exact reason. We want to play teams that challenge us and we can learn a lot from it. We want to be in these games because that's who we are. That's the type of program we want. We scheduled this. This was our decision, and I'm glad we did because this was a great game and a great experience for us." — Florida head coach Nick Zimmerman
Records
Florida: 4-2-1, 0-0-0 SEC
Wake Forest: 7-0-0, 0-0-0 ACC
Series
Florida leads 3-1
Next Up
Florida opens Southeastern Conference action Thursday at No. 20 South Carolina. The Gamecocks will close non-conference action later today with a home match versus College of Charleston.
at No. 20 South Carolina
Date: Thursday, Sept. 10
Time: 7 p.m. ET at Eugene E. Stone III Stadium
Streaming Video: SEC Network + Announcers: Brad Muller and Zander Collins
Live Stats
Admission: $11 – adults / $6 - youth
Wake Forest (7-0-0, 0-0-0 ACC) at Florida (4-2-1, 0-0 SEC)
Stadium: Donald R. Dizney Stadium (1,098)
Weather: 90 degrees, 63% humidity, Winds at 7 mph, Partly Sunny
| Goals by Period | 1 | 2 | Total |
| Wake Forest | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Florida | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Scoring Summary:
| No. | Time | Team | Goal Scorer | Assist |
| 1. | 14:35 | WFU | Sierra Sythe | |
| 2. | 57:07 | UF | Tatum Borman | |
| 3. | 79:13 | WFU | Sierra Sythe | Penalty kick |
Shots: WFU 9; Florida 8
Saves: WFU (Valentina Amaral 1); Florida 2 (Jayden Emmanuel 2)
Cautions: None
Players Mentioned
Team Stats
WAKE
UFLOR
Goals
2
1
Shots
9
8
Shots on Goal
4
2
Saves
1
2
Corners
3
2
Fouls
9
15
Scoring Plays
Sierra Sythe (4)
GOAL by WAKE Sythe, Sierra.
14:35
Tatum Borman (1)
GOAL by UFLOR Borman, Tatum.
57:07
Sierra Sythe (4)
WAKE Sierra Sythe PENALTY KICK GOAL.
79:13
Game Leaders
Shots
2
SOG
1
Goals
1
Assists
0
fwd
Shots
2
SOG
1
Goals
0
Assists
0
fwd
Shots
1
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
0
Shots
1
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
0
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