Two In-State Matches Next Up for Gator Soccer

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A pair of Sunshine State opponents – first away and then home – are next for Gators soccer.
 
Florida (1-0, 0-0 SEC) heads to Jacksonville to face North Florida for its first road match of 2024 on Thursday. Then the Gators play host to UCF on Sunday to close August home action.
 
Thursday, Aug. 22 at North Florida
    Time/Site: 7 p.m. at Hodges Stadium
    Streaming Video: ESPN + Announcers: MC Bell and Richard Miller
    Live Stats
    Admission: Free
 
Sunday, Aug. 25 vs UCF
    Time/Site: 6 p.m. at Donald R. Dizney Stadium
    Streaming Video: SEC Network + with action called by Kyle Crooks and Matthew Stubbington
    Radio: ESPN 98.1 FM / 850 AM WRUF with action called by Sky Lebron & Mary Pallman
    Live Stats
    Promotions: First 500 fans get a Gator Bang-A-Banner to help make their presence heard by the Gators.
 
Admission is free for all Gator soccer regular-season home matches.
 
Florida’s Season Opener:
The Gators opened the 2024 season with a 2-0 home win versus 2023 Southern Conference champion Western Carolina last Friday.
 
Florida is now 21-6-3 all-time in season openers. A third of Florida’s 30 seasons have opened with a shutout win and this was the second consecutive season-opening 2-0 victory.
 

• Senior Madison Young headed in the Gators’ first goal of the season in the 40^th minute. All four of Young’s collegiate goals have been headers off corner kicks and each of the last three corner kicks were served by Delaney Tauzel.
• Sophomore transfer Delaney Tellex closed the scoring by putting in Njeri Butt’s cross in the 88^th minute. It was Tellex’s first Gator goal and first since she hit the game-winning goal to give Memphis the 2023 American Athletic Conference tournament title.
• Alexa Goldberg made her 18^th consecutive start in goal. Redshirt freshman Paloma Peña made her first collegiate appearance, playing the entirety of the second half.
• Four starters – freshman Vera Blom, redshirt sophomore Madison Jones, Tellex and graduate Emilee Hauser – made their Gator debuts Friday. Three others – freshman Ryleigh Acosta and Norah Abbott and Peña – also made their first Gator appearances. Seven of the 18 who played in the opener made their Gator debuts. Blom marked the 23^rd year a freshman was among Florida’s season opener starters.

 
About Upcoming Opponents:
North Florida (1-1, 0-0 ASUN)
North Florida was 4-9-5 overall in 2023 and took 10^th in the…