No. 11 Gator Soccer Takes 2-0 Win at No. 25 UCF

8/22/10

ORLANDO, Fla. – A pair of goals by junior Tahnai Annis gave the No. 11 University of Florida soccer team (2-0-0, 0-0 Southeastern Conference) a 2-0 win at No. 25 UCF (0-1-0, 0-0-0 Conference USA) Sunday evening in front of an UCF Soccer Complex record crowd of 2,141. Sunday’s match was the first time in the all-time 14-match series that both programs were ranked in the nation’s top 25.

The first score of the match came off a heads up play in the box in the 48th minute. Jazmyne Avant served the ball into the box where UCF’s Marissa Diggs headed the ball down. The ball bounced in the box where Annis put it in at the near post from eight yards.

“”Composure’ was definitely something that went through my mind when I saw the ball. I took a deep breath just before I shot it,” she said. “I didn’t want it to go high or wide.”

Annis added her second goal in less than five minutes later. McKenzie Barney got the ball to Erika Tymrak about 10 yards above the box. Tymrak brought the ball down and sent a slow roller into the box. Annis slide and was able to get her foot on the ball just in front of a pair of two Golden Knight defenders to score from 10 yards at the far post.

“Erika played in a great straight ball because I was already making the run. I knew that if I tried to take another touch on it, that wouldn’t work out because the defender was right on me,” Annis said. “It was basically the same goal that McKenzie (Barney) scored the other night.”

For Annis, it was her second multi-goal match of her career, as she put in a pair of second-half goals versus Arkansas as a freshman in 2008.
She seems to score in pairs quickly, as the two goals against Arkansas came in just over three minutes.

UF goalkeeper Katie Fraine needed to make a couple of diving saves to record her first shutout of the season. In the 51st minute, Lauren Halbert’s shot from 15 yards was saved by Fraine. Late in the half, Kristina Trujic’s 20-yard shot was saved wide by Fraine. For the match, Fraine turned in five saves.

The match started slowly with both teams having trouble getting the ball in to the attacking third. The Gators scoring chances seemed to improve as the minutes ticked off toward halftime and UF Head Coach Becky Burleigh thought the Gators brought that momentum into the second half.

“We knew were going to have to weather the first 15 minutes or so because it was their home opener and they were going to come with a lot of energy. I thought we got a hold in the second half of the first half and carried that momentum into the second half really well,” Burleigh said. “After those two goals, there was a bit of a lull. That was a bit disappointing, but the rest of it I thought was executed well. The second goal was beautiful; the first goal was great anticipation off the turnover. Hard to complain when you get a win on the road in the second match of the year.”

Next up, Florida returns to Gainesville to begin a three-match home stand. The home stand begins when Florida Atlantic comes to the James G.
Pressly Stadium for a Friday, Aug. 27 match. Match time is set for 6 p.m and admission is free for all Gator soccer regular-season matches.
Florida continues its home action on Sunday, Aug. 29 at 1:30 p.m. for its first meeting with San Diego State. The Aztecs are the defending Mountain West Conference champions, as it posted an overall record of
15-4-5 and 5-0-2 in MWC play. Both matches can be heard on WRUF AM 850, by simulcast on Cox Channel 946 (Gainesville/Ocala) or on www.GatorZone.com with Adam Schick and Matthew Stubbington covering the action. Live, streaming video of both matches is available on GatorVision Online – check out the GatorVision on www.GatorZone.com for complete information.


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

Scoring:
UF – Tahnai Annis (unassisted) 47:06
UF – Annis (Erika Tymrak, McKenzie Barney) 51:31


GoalkeFlorida Katie Fraine 90:00 5 0
UCF Aline Reis 90:00 4 2

Statistical Summary: UF UCF
Shots 16 13
Shots on goal 6 5
Saves 5 4
Corner Kicks 3 6
Fouls 15 11
Offside 0 0