No. 10 Florida Soccer Wins 1-0 at Auburn

10/18/08

AUBURN, Ala. – The No. 10 University of Florida soccer team (12-2-1, 7-0
SEC) posted a 1-0 win over Auburn (7-7-2, 3-3-1 SEC) Friday evening in front of an Auburn University Soccer Complex crowd of 273.

The only goal of the match started when Angela Napolitano took a shot high in the box that hit the crossbar and kicked back into the box.
Tahnai Annis headed the ball in from eight yards at the far post to give UF a 1-0 lead in the 25th minute.

“There was kind of a scramble in the box and the ball popped out to Napo (Angela Napolitano). She shot it and I knew that I needed to be in position for the rebound. It hit the crossbar and it came to me,” Annis said. “I was pretty much alone with it. I made sure I didn’t get too excited because I didn’t want to launch it over the goal. So I just picked a place where the keeper was not and then headed it in.”

It was Annis’ sixth goal of the season, moving her into a tie with Megan Kerns for Florida’s season goals lead at six each.

The Gators’ defensive play Friday was a key to preserving the team’s third-consecutive shutout. In the 24th minute, AU’s Kara Kasten took a 12-yard shot that was headed to the upper far post corner. Meghan Berlingo made the one-handed save to tip the ball over the crossbar for a Tiger corner kick. In the 82nd minute, an Auburn player received the ball at the center of the box and made the quick turn to head toward the goal. Junior defender Lauren Hyde hooked the ball with her foot, freezing the ball at the top of the box to end the threat.

UF Head Coach Becky Burleigh thought the Gator attack was missing some of its bite Friday.

“I think we got a little bit too conservative in our offense. We were playing a little bit too defensive oriented. I thought we played in our own half too much instead of putting the pressure on them,” Burleigh said. “It was not the prettiest game we played this year, that’s for sure. But to hang on for the win and to get a shutout – those are both positives.”

Berlingo matched her collegiate-high for saves (6), which she set last Friday in UF’s 1-0 win versus Mississippi. AU’s Allison Whitworth turned in three saves.

Next up, Florida continues action versus SEC Western Division rivals when it travels to Alabama for a match on Sunday, Oct. 19. Match time is set for 2 p.m. (ET) at the Alabama Soccer Complex. COX Sports will air the match live (Gainesville/Ocala Cox Cable channel 67). The match can also be heard live on WRUF AM 850 or on the simulcasts on Gator Radio - Cox Channel 96/946 in Gainesville and GatorZone.com with Adam Schick covering the action.

Scoring Summary: 1st 2nd Final
Florida 1 0 1
Auburn 0 0 0

Scoring:
UF – Tahnai Annis (Angela Napolitano) 24:37

Goalkeepers:
Minutes Saves GA
Florida Meghan Berlingo 90:00 6 0
Auburn Allison Whitworth 90:00 3 1

Statistical Summary: UF AU
Shots 9 9
Shots on goal 4 6
Saves 6 3
Corner Kicks 4 5
Fouls 12 16
Offside 2 5