Alabama
Florida
Soccer ties No. 17 Florida on Road, 2-2
9/26/2005 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
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After a hard-fought double-overtime match Friday in Gainesville, Fla., the Alabama soccer team walked away with a 2-2 tie against No. 17 Florida.
"I'm disappointed to come away with a tie," Alabama head coach Don Staley said. "I felt like we played well enough to get the win."
Florida's offense came out firing early and for 78:00 the Alabama defense was up to the challenge and proved why it has been among the SEC's toughest to score on this season. Alabama carried a 2-0 lead into the game's final 12:00, however the Gators finally broke through twice in the game's final 12:00 of regulation to force overtime.
KeLeigh Hudson defelected a pass from Amber Presnick into the net to cut the Alabama lead to 2-1. Then Abdullah converted a penalty kick at 78:45 to even things up.
"My hats off to Florida," Staley said. "They showed why they are champions. They continue to come at you."
In overtime, both teams missed taking home a win by inches. UA's Jessie Deegan almost ended the game 5:15 into the first overtime when she fired a shot from 20 yards out that cleared the reach of the goalkeeper and deflected off the cross-bar.
In the second overtime, Florida's Melanie Booth nearly did the same when she slipped past Gudmens, who moved out of the net, but Booth lost control of the ball and allowed Alabama's defense to recover. Then with 3:13 remaining in the game, UF's Lindsey DeLorenze hit the cross-bar.
"They had opportunities and so did we," Staley said. "It's good to come away with a point on the road.
Alabama carried a 1-0 lead into the half off a Kylie Boyd goal to lead at the half for the sixth time in eight games this season. Cally Morrill gained possession of the ball in Alabama's defensive zone and lobbed a pass over the Florida defense to a sprinting Boyd. Boyd then slipped past UF goalkeeper Brittni Goodwin and rolled a shot into the net at 15:16. It was the first goal ever scored by Alabama in Gainesville, Fla. and the first for the Tide against Florida since 1998.
Alabama didn't stop there and widened its lead in the second half when Susie Beard cleaned up a free ball in front of the net at 64:14.
Early in the game Florida controlled the pace, but after Boyd's goal Alabama gained a little hop to its step. At 19:00 Alabama took its first corner kick of the game and Boyd nearly came away with another goal, but her header went just high. Alabama narrowly missed on another scoring chance late in the second half. Deegan deflected a shot towards the net that was cleared by a Florida defends just before crossing the goal-line.
Alabama will return to action Sunday at South Carolina at 1 p.m. cst.
