By Official Florida FC
Women’s college soccer season kicked off this week with three of Florida’s major programs earning immediate wins.
SEMINOLES STORM FORWARD
Florida State was the only in-state team ranked in the preseason United Soccer Coaches poll. The Seminoles entered 2024 as the unanimous No. 1 team in America.
The Seminoles throttled South Florida 5-0 on Thursday night in Tampa. Florida State (1-0) is unbeaten in its last 24 matches.
Mimi Van Zanten scored the Seminoles’ first goal of the season in the 25th minute. Sophomore forward Jordynn Dudley, scored 10 times in 1,017 minutes in 2023, opened her 2024 account in the 38th minute.
Florida State will have its home opener on Sunday against North Florida. The Osprey’s (1-0) beat Miami in Coral Gables on Thursday night through Allison Souers’ 27th minute goal.
AROUND THE PENINSULA
UCF clipped Florida Atlantic 5-1 in its opener in Orlando. Chloe Netzel assisted the opener in the third minute, then scored herself in the 39th and 48th minute to put the game away. Honoka Hamano assisted Netzel’s second, before she scored UCF’s fifth in the 63rd minute.
UCF was picked to finish sixth in the 16-team Big 12 this season. The Knights will play their next four matches in-state – which includes road matches at Florida (Aug. 25) and South Florida (Sept. 5) prior to kicking off their second season in the Big 12 on Sept. 12 against Houston.
Florida shut out Western Carolina in its season opener on Thursday night in Gainesville.
Delaney Tauzel assisted Madison Young’s 38th minute goal, then sealed the game in the 88th minute in Florida’s 2-0 win.
“I thought we came out with some intensity and created a lot of chances,” said head coach Sam Bohan following her third season opener in orange and blue. “That was one of our big points of emphasis off of our preseason exhibitions. So that was really exciting, because Western Carolina is a very good team. We have a lot of respect for them. They’re gonna have a great season and they’ve got some really special players.”
Florida will play North Florida on Thursday night in Jacksonville.
North Florida was picked to finish sixth in the ASUN this season. The team that is the preseason favorite, Florida Gulf Coast, lost 2-1 to Florida International on Thursday in Fort Myers.
Florida Gulf Coast scored early through senior midfielder Ashley Labbe’s 13th minute goal.
However, FIU roared back to secure its first win over Florida Gulf Coast in 14 years. Antonella Solari equalized right before intermission in the 43rd minute. FIU’s leading scorer from 2023, Nikole Solis, scored the winner in the 72nd.
