1998 NCAA Champions •20 NCAA Championship Appearances 14-time SEC Champions ▪1996, ’97, ’98, ’99, ’00, ’01, ’06, ’07, ’08, ’09, ’10, ’12, ’13, ‘15 Today’s Match: What’s Happening? No. 22 Florida (2-2, 0-0 SEC) vs No. 2 UCLA (2-0, 0-0 Pac 12) Florida begins a three-match stretch versus United Soccer Coaches’ top-25 teams this Friday when Date & Time: Friday, Aug. 31 @ 7 p.m. ET No. 2 and 2017 NCAA runner-up UCLA makes its first visit to Gainesville since 2000. Friday’s action Site: Donald R. Dizney Stadium (1,500) begins 7 p.m. at the Donald R. Dizney Stadium. The Coaches: Becky Burleigh, 29th season overall (491-135-38) and 24th season at UF (409-112-32/UF), Amanda Cromwell, 22nd Leading the teams Friday are the first two women to lead their team to a NCAA title. Florida’s Becky season overall (319-118-38) and sixth season at UCLA (87-20-11) Burleigh was the first in 1998 and UCLA’s Amanda Cromwell became the second in 2013. In the 36- Series Record: UCLA leads 4-3 year history of NCAA soccer, three women have coached the national title team (third is Penn State’s Television: none Ericha Dambach/2015). Radio: none Streaming video: SEC Network + The 2018 Florida team, made up of 30 players, includes six making their first appearance for the Internet: live stats and audio for UF-UCLA match available on Gators. Florida returns 10 starters from the 2017 NCAA Elite Eight team. FloridaGators.com Three 2018 Gators earned All-SEC honors last season – Parker Roberts (first team), Deanne Rose Admission: free (first) and Rachelle Smith (second). Roberts and Rose also appeared on the 2017 United Soccer Promotions: College Colors Day – wear your Orange and Blue to Coaches All-Southeast Region team. cheer the team on in this Top 25 match-up. The student who shows the most pride at the game will WIN a prize; Autographs – Florida lost a pair of 1-0 decisions to teams with the initials “OSU” last weekend. On Friday, Florida lost the Gators sign autographs post-match. at home to Ohio State. It was a scoreless opening half, thanks to a save off the line by defender Sammie Betters on OSU’s Kayla Fischer’s first shot of the match in the 18th minute. But Fischer would Florida SID Contact: Mary Howard eventually get the game-winner in the 56th minute. She drove through the Florida half and then scored Office: 352-375-4683, ext 6100 from six yards on a left-footed shot to the far corner. On Sunday at Oklahoma State, the Cowgirls’ Email: [email protected] game-winner came in the 103rd minute when Marlo Zoeller hit a 14-yard shot to the far post. It was the first loss for the Gators in the five-match series with Oklahoma State. Did You Know… Florida dropped to No. 22 on the second United Soccer Coaches rankings, released Aug. 28. UF was Florida meets six teams among the latest United Soccer Coaches No. 7 on the preseason poll, marking the 22nd consecutive appearance in the coaches’ association top-25 rankings. When teams receiving votes are added, that preseason poll and the seventh straight year among the nation’s top 10. UCLA is the second of seven number rises to eight. teams on Florida’s schedule ranked in the United Soccer Coaches preseason top 25. The Donald R. Dizney Stadium is the site for four of those matches - No. 2 UCLA (Aug. 31), No. 12 Southern A three-match stretch versus top-10 teams begins with Friday’s California (Sept. 2), No. 23 Ohio State (Aug. 24/1-0 loss) and No. 25 Tennessee (Oct. 4). Florida meeting with No. 2 UCLA. Then UF faces No. 7 Southern travels to meet preseason No. 5 South Carolina (Oct. 7), No. 10 Florida State (Sept. 7) and No. 16 California and then travels to meet No. 4 Florida State. Central Florida. Florida is the SEC coaches pick to win the 2018 league title. South Carolina is the two-time defending Rank Opponent Site Date SEC champion. Florida is one of five SEC teams in the current United Soccer Coaches national rankings 2 UCLA H Aug. 31 –No. 8 Texas A&M, No. 10 Tennessee, No. 15 South Carolina, No. 17 Auburn and No. 22 Florida. The 4 Florida State A Sept. 7 SEC led the nation in 2017 with an all-time high nine teams receiving NCAA Tournament bids 7 Southern California H Sept. 2 – Florida, Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M and 10 Tennessee H Oct. 4 Vanderbilt. South Carolina defeated Florida 2-0 in NCAA Quarterfinal action to advance to the NCAA College Cup. 14 Oklahoma State A L, 1-0 15 South Carolina A Oct. 7 These two teams last met in early 2016 season action in Los Angeles, with the Gators taking a 4-3 RV Mississippi State A Sept. 28 overtime win. Including Friday’s meeting, both teams ranked among the top 25 in each of their eight RV Washington H W, 2-1 match history. The Bruins last were in the Sunshine State for the 2017 NCAA College Cup in Orlando. UCLA lost 3-2 to Stanford in the title match. UCLA comes into Friday’s match after wins versus Long Beach State (1-0) and at No. 3 Penn State (2-1). Both Florida and UCLA will be without 2018 MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List players Friday. Gator sophomore forward Deanne Rose and UCLA junior midfielder Jessie Fleming are with Canada’s Senior National Team preparing for the Sept. 2 international friendly versus Brazil. They are the only two NCAA collegiates on the Canada roster. The Bruins also have three others on the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List – senior forward Hallie Mace, junior defender Kaiya McCullough and sophomore forward Ashley Sanchez. ABOUT THE GATORS: About the 2018 Gators Location: Gainesville, Fla. The 2018 Gator team is made up 30 players. Among the six newcomers are five Enrollment: 55,862 freshmen and one transfers. Ten starters return from Florida’s 2017 NCAA Elite Eight President: Dr. W. Kent Fuchs team. Athletics Director: Scott Stricklin Conference: Southeastern Three Gators earned 2017 All-SEC honors. Redshirt junior Parker Roberts and Nickname: Gators sophomore Deanne Rose were part of the 2017 All-SEC first team. Senior Rachelle Colors: Orange & Blue Smith appeared on the 2017 All-SEC second team. UF SOCCER QUICK FACTS: 12 of the 16 Gators earning points in 2017 return this season. Those not 2018 Record: 2-2, 0-0 SEC returning - Gabby Seiler (6 goals, 8 assists – 20 points), Cassie Owens 2017 Record: 17-7, 7-3 SEC (1 – 2 pts), Samantha Chung (1g – 2 pts) and Kristen Cardano (1a – 2017 SEC Finish: 3rd overall; T3rd in SEC Tournament 1pt) – generated 25 points and eight goals. COACHING STAFF: Carina Baltrip-Reyes transferred from Florida International, joining the Head Coach: Becky Burleigh Gators for 2018 spring training. The redshirt sophomore Career Record/Years: 491-135-38/ 29 seasons defender/midfielder is eligible to compete for the Gators this season. UF Record: 409-112-32 / 24 seasons Associate Head Coaches: Vic Campbell & Alan Kirkup Several Gators spent part of their summer with teams in the Women’s Volunteer Coach: John Roman Premier Soccer League (WPSL) or other leagues - Madison Alexander (Motor City FC), Baltrip-Reyes (FC Austin Elite), Haillie Lower (Tampa RETURNING ALL-SEC PLAYERS: Bay United), Alyssa Howell (Florida SOL FC), Roberts (Asheville City FC), Tess Sapone (Washington Spirit Reserves) and Danielle Van Liere Parker Roberts (2017 SEC first team) (Charlotte Eagles). Deanne Rose (2017 SEC first team) Rachelle Smith (2017 SEC second team) Four Gators were called into various national team activities – Cassidy Lindley (U.S. U-18 camp), Roberts (two U.S. U-23 camps) and Rose 2018 University of Florida Soccer Schedule (Canada’s Algarve Cup team). Freshman Georgia Eaton-Collins also Date Opponent (TV/Radio) Time (ET) played for England in a U-19 2018 European Championship qualifier. Aug. 7 Florida Gulf Coast# (Exhibition) W, 4-0 Aug. 17 Washington (SEC Network +) W, 1-0 Six Newcomers in 2018 Aug. 19 Florida Atlantic (SEC Network +) W, 4-2 Florida welcomes five freshmen and one transfer to its 2018 roster. Aug. 24 Ohio State (SEC Network +) L, 1-0 Aug. 26 Oklahoma State L, 1-0 2OT Taylor Baksay played with the Palm Harbor University team that reached Aug. 31 UCLA (SEC Network +) 7 p.m. the FHSAA 5A semifinal in 2015 and 2018. Earned 2018 Pinellas County Sept. 2 Southern California (SEC Network +) 6 p.m. Athletic Conference North county first-team honors. Sept. 7 Florida State 7 p.m. Georgia Eaton-Collins of Ipswich, Suffolk, England, has been a member Sept. 9 Central Florida 6 p.m. of England youth national teams at Under-15, U-16, U-17 and U-19. Sept. 16 Vanderbilt (SEC Network) 3 p.m. Member of Arsenal’s 2017-18 Women’s Super League (WSL) Sept. 20 Kentucky 7:30 p.m. development championship team and named team’s U-20 Player of the Sept. 23 Louisiana State (SEC Network +) 1 p.m. 2017-18 season. Sept. 28 Mississippi State 8 p.m. Cassidy Lindley was the 2017 West Most Valuable Player and named to Oct. 4 Tennessee (SEC Network +) 6:30 p.m. Best XI at 2017 High School All-American Game, held in Orlando Dec. 2. Oct. 7 South Carolina (SEC Network) 3 p.m.