SEC tourney title next on UF soccer’s wish list

Last year, the Florida soccer team completed the regular season with a perfect 11-0 SEC record. The sterling standing didn’t help in the conference tournament, however, as Florida was bounced in the semifinals by fourth-seeded Georgia, 3-0.

This year, a younger group of Gators battled the pressure of repeating, but needed a win over South Carolina on the final day of the regular season to claim the top seed in the tournament. Coach Becky Burleigh said adversity will help her No. 10-ranked squad in the grueling schedule of three games in five days, which starts today in Orange Beach, Ala.

“When you play for Florida, the number-one goal is to win the SEC,” Burleigh said. “When you win the SEC, good things follow after that. I’m really happy that we won (the regular-season SEC championship), but the next step is to win the conference tournament and that’s tough.”

Florida opens play at 6 p.m. today against eighth seed, and defending tournament champ, Tennessee. The Volunteers (8-8-3, 4-5-2 SEC) lost three of their final four conference games following a 2-2 overtime tie with the Gators in the teams’ only meeting on Oct. 16 in Knoxville. Tennessee is led by senior forward Mick Ingram, who has 12 goals and three assists in 19 games. Gainesville natives Emily Dowd (two goals, three assists) and Emily Shore, a key defender, are expected to see action in the match. The winner has a Thursday date with the victor between fourth-seed South Carolina and fifth-seed Georgia.

UF (14-4-2, 8-1-2 SEC) is led by senior Lauren Hyde, who on Tuesday was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year. Hyde was joined on the All-SEC team by first-team keeper Katie Fraine and second-team sophomore forward Lindsay Thompson. Thompson leads all Gator scorers with nine goals and two assists in 20 games.

“I definitely think we’re playing our best soccer, in terms of team soccer, at this point in the season,” Burleigh said. “I think we still have a lot of ways we can get better, but I like the way we’re playing as a team, both offensively and defensively.”

Much of the team’s recent success is due to redshirt-freshman midfielder McKenzie Barney. After sitting out all of last year with an ACL tear, Barney scored three goals in the club’s first 17 matches. Barney caught fire at the end of the schedule, scoring four goals in the final three games, including two of the three scores that sealed the top seed against No. 13 South Carolina last Friday. Barney and Thompson make up two of the five underclassmen who form the top of the Gator scoring chart.

“It’s terrific to have younger players contributing, with older players anchoring it in the front and in the back,” Burleigh said.

Burleigh will need her veteran players to guide the way this week, as the schedule is far more intense than what the team has dealt with. After defeating South Carolina, Burleigh gave the team Saturday off before scheduling practices Sunday and Monday ahead of the Tuesday travel day. The extra work should help her club to guard the target on its back.

“When you play for Florida, everyone wants to beat you,” Burleigh said. “Whether it’s the top team in the SEC or the bottom, you always get their best game.”