Florida Gators women's soccer

Florida Gators soccer
2015 Florida Gators soccer team

University University of Florida
Conference SEC
Division Eastern
Location Gainesville, FL
Head Coach Becky Burleigh (21st year)
Stadium James G. Pressly Stadium
(Capacity: 4,500)
Nickname Florida Gators
Colors Blue and Orange

             

NCAA Tournament Champions
1998
NCAA Tournament Semifinal
1998, 2001
NCAA Tournament Appearances
1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
Conference Tournament Champions
1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2015
Conference Regular Season Champions
1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015

The Florida Gators women's soccer team represents the University of Florida in the sport of college soccer. The Gators compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) and the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They play their home games in James G. Pressly Stadium on the university's Gainesville, Florida campus, and are currently led by head coach Becky Burleigh. In the sixteen-year history of the Gators' soccer program, they have won thirteen SEC championships and one NCAA national championship.

History

Becky Burleigh was named the first head coach of the start-up Florida Gators soccer program on June 28, 1994, and has served as the only head coach in the program's twenty-one-season history.[1] Since the Gators' began play in the fall of 1995, the team has compiled a record of 264–70–23 and a winning percentage of 0.7717, and Burleigh's Gators teams have qualified for the NCAA Tournament thirteen of the last fifteen seasons.[1]

In 1998, in the Gators soccer program's fourth year of existence, the Gators won their first NCAA national title by defeating the defending national champion North Carolina Tar Heels 1–0 in the final game of the tournament.[2] The 1998 Gators finished 26–1, having lost their only match to the same North Carolina team that the Gators defeated in the NCAA championship final.[2] Players from the Gators' 1998 national championship team included All-Americans Erin Baxter, Danielle Fotopoulos and Heather Mitts.[2]

In addition to their 1998 national championship season, the Gators have previously advanced to the NCAA tournament semi-final once (2001), the quarter-finals twice (1996, 2003), and the round of sixteen four times (2006, 2007, 2008, 2012).[3]

The Gators play in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference.[4] In conference play, the Gators teams have won ten SEC championships, and eight SEC tournament titles, leading all other SEC teams since the Florida soccer team began play in 1995.[5] Most recently, the Gators won the SEC championship (regular season) again in 2010, and qualified for the NCAA women's soccer tournament for the eighth consecutive year. In 2009, the Gators advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament before losing to Oregon State.[6] The Gators finished their 2009 season 8–1–2 in the SEC, and 16–6–2 overall.[3]

Notable players

Abby Wambach, first-team All-SEC (1998–2001), first-team All-American (1999, 2001), tied for the school record for career goals
Heather Mitts won two Olympic gold medals with the United States

First-team All-Americans

The following Florida soccer players have been named first-team All-Americans:[7]

Internationals and professionals

Coaching staff

Becky Burleigh became the first and only head coach of the Florida Gators soccer program on June 28, 1994. Since then, she has compiled a record of 319–85–27 in fifteen seasons as the Gators' head coach.[1] Prior to coaching at Florida, Burleigh was the head coach at Berry College, where her Lady Fury teams won two NAIA national championships.[11] At Florida and Berry, Burleigh has compiled an overall record of 346–93–29, with a winning percentage of 0.7703.[11] She ranks fourth in total number of wins, and fifth in winning percentage, among all active Division I women's soccer coaches.[11]

Victor Campbell has served as the Gators' associate head coach for the past nine seasons, after serving as an assistant coach for the previous eight seasons.[12] He primarily coaches the forwards and attacking midfielders.[12] Campbell previously was an assistant at Methodist College for seven seasons.[12]

Alan Kirkup is the Gators' assistant coach, joining the team after having previously been the head coach for Southern Methodist University, the University of Maryland and the University of Arkansas.[13] Before he began his U.S. collegiate coaching career, Kirkup was a professional soccer player for Manchester United Football Club.[13]

James G. Pressly Stadium

The Florida Gators soccer team plays its home games in James G. Pressly Stadium.[14] Pressly Stadium is a dual-purpose facility serving as home to the soccer team and the men's and women's outdoor track & field teams.[14] It is a lighted stadium and has a seating capacity of approximately 4,500.[14] The stadium is named for James G. Pressly, a 1972 alumnus of the University of Florida College of Law, who made a generous contribution to have the facility upgraded for Division I play.[14]

The Gators soccer team also has the exclusive use of a new soccer practice field that was completed as part of the Florida Lacrosse Facility in 2009.[14]

Season records


NCAA Division I Champions Conference Champions Conference Tournament Champions Division Champions


Season Conference Conference Record Conference Ranking Conference Tournament Results Regular Season Record Final Ranking Post Season Results
Division Overall
1995 SEC 6-1-1 2 2 Auburn
T 0-0 v. Auburn (5-4 Auburn PKs)
14-4-2 NR Did Not Make
1996 SEC 8-0-0 1 1 Lexington
W 2-0 v. Tennessee
W 6-1 v. Auburn
W 3-2 (2OT) v. Arkansas
22-3-0 8 Gainesville
W 7-3 v. NC State
W 5-0 v. Wake Forest
Chapel Hill
L 0-9 v. North Carolina
1997 SEC 7-1-0 1 1 Gainesville
W 6-3 v. Ole Miss
W 3-1 v. Georgia
W 4-2 v. Vanderbilt
20-3-1 9 Gainesville
W 3-2 v. Vanderbilt
Chapel Hill
L 0-5 v. North Carolina
1998 SEC 8-0-0 1 1 Tuscaloosa
W 6-0 v. South Carolina
W 2-0 v. Kentucky
W 2-0 v. Vanderbilt
26-1-0 1 First Round Bye
Gainesville
W 5-1 v. James Madison
W 1-0 v. Northwestern
W 3-1 v. Penn State
Greensboro
W 1-0 v. Santa Clara
W 1-0 v. North Carolina
1999 SEC 9-0-0 1 1 Nashville
W 4-3 v. Arkansas
W 3-0 v. Vanderbilt
W 3-0 v. Ole Miss
21-2-0 10 First Round Bye
Gainesville
L 0-1 v. Hartford
2000 SEC 9-0-0 1 1 Athens
W 4-1 v. Arkansas
W 2-1 v. Kentucky
W 2-0 v. Georgia
16-8-0 19 First Round Bye
Gainesville
L 1-2 v. Florida State
2001 SEC 8-1-0 1 1 Baton Rouge
W 4-0 v. Vanderbilt
W 3-1 v. Kentucky
W 2-1 v. Auburn
21-4-1 4 Gainesville
W 4-0 v. UCF
W 3-0 v. Georgia
W 3-1 v. Clemson
Los Angeles
W 1-0(2OT) v. UCLA
Dallas
L 2-3 v. Santa Clara
2002 SEC 5-3-0 2 3 Oxford
W 2-1 v. South Carolina
W 2-0 v. LSU
L 1-2(2OT) v. Tennessee
10-10-2 NR Did Not Make
2003 SEC 6-2-1 2 3 Orange Beach
W 3-1 v. Vanderbilt
W 4-1 v. Georgia
T 1-1 v. Tennessee (7-6 Tennessee PKs)
19-4-2 8 Gainesville
W 3-2(2OT) v. UCF
W 4-3 v. Mississippi
W 1-0 v. Tennessee
L 1-2 v. Florida State
2004 SEC 7-2-2 2 3 Auburn
W 2-0 v. Alabama
W 3-0 v. Ole Miss
W 2-1 (2OT) v. Tennessee
16-4-3 21 Gainesville
L 2-3 v. UCF
2005 SEC 8-2-1 2 3 Orange Beach
L 2-1 v. Auburn
13-6-1 20 Gainesville
L 0-1(2OT) v. Illinois
2006 SEC 7-1-3 1 1 Orange Beach
W 4-1 v. Georgia
W 2-0 v. South Carolina
L 1-2 v. Kentucky
14-6-5 10 Milwaukee
W 2-0 v. Loyola
T 0-0 v. Marquette (4-3 Florida PKs)
Los Angeles
L 2-3 v. UCLA
2007 SEC 9-2-0 1 1 Orange Beach
W 4-0 v. Kentucky
W 1-0(2OT) v. LSU
W 4-1 v. Georgia
17-5-3 17 Gainesville
W 3-0 v. Miami
T 0-0 v. UCF (4-3 Florida PKs)
Los Angeles
L 0-1 Southern California
2008 SEC 11-0-0 1 1 Orange Beach
W 2-1 v. Alabama
L 0-3 v. Georgia
19-4-1 10 Gainesville
W 2-1 v. California
W 2-0 v. UCF
L 1-2 v. Texas A&M
2009 SEC 8-1-2 1 1 Orange Beach
W 1-0(2OT) v. Tennessee
L 0-1 v. South Carolina
16-6-2 15 Columbus
W 2-0 v. Illinois State
L 0-1(OT) v. Oregon State
2010 SEC 9-1-1 1 1 Orange Beach
W 5-3 v. Vanderbilt
W 3-1 v. Georgia
W 1-0 v. South Carolina
19-2-3 12 Gainesville
W 3-0 v. Mercer
T 0-0 v. Duke (4-2 Duke PKs)
2011 SEC 7-4-0 4 4 Orange Beach
W 2-0 v. Georgia
W 2-1 v. Alabama
L 2-3 v. Auburn
18-8-0 RV Gainesville
W 3-0 v. FGCU
L 2-3 v. UCF
2012 SEC 11-2-0 1 1 Orange Beach
W 2-1 v. Mississippi
W 3-0 v. Missouri
W 3-0 v. Auburn
14-4-1 Gainesville
W 2-0 v. FGCU
W 1-0 v. UCF
L 0-2 Notre Dame
2013 SEC 9-2-0 1 1 Orange Beach
W 1-0 v. Arkansas
W 2-1 v. Mississippi
L 1-2 v. Texas A&M
15-3-1 Gainesville
W 2-0 v. Jacksonville
Durham
L 0-1 Duke
2014 SEC 9-2-0 1 2 Orange Beach
L 1-1 (4-5 pen) v. Tennessee
14-4-0 Gainesville
W 3-0 v. Mercer
W 3-1 UC Berkley
W 3-2 Texas Tech
Palo Alto
L 2-2 (3-4 pen) Stanford
2015 SEC Orange Beach
Total 227-27-11 42-7-3 344-91-28 28-16-4

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 2008 Florida Gators Soccer Media Guide, Year-by-Year Results, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida (2008). Retrieved July 17, 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 Pat Dooley, "Top 25 Gator teams: #5 1998 Women's soccer," Gainesville Sun (June 4, 2009). Retrieved July 15, 2009.
  3. 1 2 GatorZone.com, Soccer, 2009 Schedule. Retrieved December 13, 2009.
  4. See, generally, SECSports.com, Soccer. Retrieved July 15, 2009.
  5. SECSports.com, Soccer, SEC Soccer Record Book. Retrieved July 15, 2009.
  6. GatorZone, Soccer, NCAA 2008 Soccer Championship, First, Second & Third Round Bracket. Retrieved December 13, 2009.
  7. "GATOR SOCCER PLACES THREE ON NSCAA ALL-AMERICA TEAMS". University of Florida Athletics Department. December 5, 2015. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
  8. Official Site of Abby Wambach, Bio. Retrieved July 20, 2009.
  9. 1 2 Heather Mitts: The Official Website, About. Retrieved July 20, 2009.
  10. "CHRISTEN WESTPHAL THIRD OVERALL PICK IN NWSL DRAFT". University of Florida Athletic Department. January 15, 2016. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
  11. 1 2 3 GatorZone.com, Soccer, Coaching & Support Staff, Becky Burleigh Biography. Retrieved July 15, 2009.
  12. 1 2 3 GatorZone.com, Soccer, Coaching & Support Staff, Victor Campbell Biography. Retrieved July 1, 2015.
  13. 1 2 GatorZone.com, Soccer, Coaching & Support Staff, Alan Kirkup Biography. Retrieved July 17, 2009.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 GatorZone.com, Facilities, James G. Pressly Stadium. Retrieved July 16, 2009.

External links

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