By Official Florida FC
Florida State
The ACC champions return 10 of the 11 starters who appeared in the national championship game in May. Sophomore forward Jody Brown scored five goals, on only 16 shots and may play a bigger role in the attack this year.
Midfielder Jaelin Howell played her way into a handful of caps with the USWNT after earning All-America honors in 2020. She also scored five goals.
Considering the Seminoles return six players who scored four goals last year, their attack should once again be potent. Florida State led the nation during the regular season in goals scored per game. The Seminoles would have been national champions had Yujie Zhao’s effort in the final kissed the crossbar and went over the line.
Zhao was a third team All-American and defender Emily Madril was a second team All-American last year. Those two, and others will certainly have a lot to prove after the way their 2020 season ended.
Seminoles head coach Mark Krikorian is 289-67-32 in Tallahassee and has a 484-135-57 record in his 30 years as a college and professional coach. He should earn his 300th win for the garnet and gold just as Florida State is winding down its regular season and will likely pick up his 500th career victory in November.
South Florida
The American Athletic Conference champions conceded just six times in 13 games. More impressively, the Bulls allowed one goal in nine conference contests last year.
USF will be led by first team All-American Sydny Nasello. The junior forward from nearby Land O’ Lakes had a reputation for scoring and creating goals at the high school and club levels and brought those with her to Tampa. She led the American Athletic Conference in assists in 2018 and 2019. In the 2020 season, she scored six goals and assisted a conference-leading five others in only 932 minutes.
Goalkeeper Sydney Martinez earned second team All-America honors last year after posting six shutouts.
The Bulls’ quest to win a third regular season title in four years will be aided by the addition of graduate transfer Kaley Verpaele, a native Floridian who appeared in 55 matches for Alabama over the past four seasons.
Flagler College
Flagler College midfielder Lorena Lopez knocks the ball forward during the Peach Belt Conference Tournament final on Saturday, April 10, 2021. (Photo by Will Brown) 
Flagler College attacker Maria Castorino Mujica takes a first half free kick during the Peach Belt Conference Tournament final on Saturday, April 10, 2021. (Photo by Will Brown) 
Flagler College defender Shannon Matthaei slowly regains her footing after being fouled during the second half of the Peach Belt Conference Tournament final on Saturday, April 10, 2021. (Photo by Will Brown) 
Flagler College defender Shannon Matthaei searches for a passing option during the second half of the Peach Belt Conference Tournament final on Saturday, April 10, 2021. (Photo by Will Brown) 
Flagler College defender Sara Carr, right, attempts to block the shot of a Columbus State attacker during the Peach Belt Conference Tournament final on Saturday, April 10, 2021. (Photo by Will Brown) 
Flagler College midfielder Annie Habeeb has been a four-year starter in midfield for the Saints. (Photo by Will Brown) 
Flagler College midfielder Annie Habeeb, left, and Columbus State’s Maria Kilset (16) vie for a header during the second half of the Peach Belt Conference Tournament final on Saturday, April 10, 2021.(Photo by Will Brown) 
Maria Castorino Mujica celebrates Lorena Lopez’s 75th minute goal during the Peach Belt Conference Tournament final on Saturday, April 10, 2021. (Photo by Will Brown) 
Flagler College attacker Gabi Flores takes a quick sip during halftime of the Peach Belt Conference Tournament final on Saturday, April 10, 2021. (Photo by Will Brown)
The St. Augustine school is the No. 1 team in Division II soccer following a 2020 season where the Saints were 8-0-2.
There was not a NCAA Division II tournament in 2020, but the Saints would have made a long run were there one. Flagler advanced to the 2019 national semifinals and will return most of its midfield and defense that has led the program to a 31-1-3 record over the last two years.
Flagler will have to find a goal scorer as All-American Sara Sandberg graduated.
Lia Godfrey
The University of Virginia sophomore from Fleming Island was one of two freshmen named to the United Soccer Coaches All-America team last year. Godfrey led the Atlantic Coast Conference – far and away the best conference in the country – with nine assists in 2020. She added four goals to help the Cavaliers advance to the national semifinals.
Virginia was picked to finish third in the ACC this year. If the Cavaliers are to win the ACC regular season title for the first time since 2015 or the tournament title for the first time since 2012, Godfrey will likely play a large role.
Florida’s new coach
For the first time in their history the Gators are onboarding a new head coach.
Tony Amato has been tasked with replacing the iconic Becky Burleigh. Amato comes to Gainesville from Arizona where he posted an 88-53-17 record in eight years in Tucson. Amato is a Rollins alumnus who was the 1999 Sunshine State Conference Player of the Year before he started his coaching career in 2001.
“The University of Florida is a special place and I am extremely excited for this opportunity,” Amato said in a statement shortly after he was hired. “I have admired Florida Soccer and the program Becky Burleigh built since I started coaching at Rollins College. I am honored to follow in her footsteps and will work tirelessly to make our administration, alumni and fans proud of our Gator team.”
Florida finished 6-8-3 in 2020. The Gators will have to find people who can put the ball in the back of the net. Florida’s leading scorer in 2020, Beata Olsson, transferred to Florida State. Meanwhile Parker Roberts and Deanne Rose graduated.
Maddy Rhodes, scored three goals and assisted two others during her freshman season in only 490 minutes. Rhodes and Madison Alexander will be the top attacking threats for the Gators this fall.
Amato’s first assignment will be anything but easy. The Gators travel to Tampa to play nationally ranked USF on Thursday night.
