UF soccer coach Becky Burleigh’s mantra throughout the NCAA Tournament has been “survive and advance.” In their second-round game Sunday against UCF, her Gators had to survive in more ways than one.
In a match that was physical from the start, No. 2-seeded Florida avenged an August loss to the Knights with a 2-0 victory in front of a home crowd at James G. Pressly Stadium.
The match featured several stoppages of play, and two yellow cards, as referees warned both team’s players about the rough play. The first half was likely to yield as many bruises as combined shots, as the Gators outattempted the Knights 8-2.
