No. 5 Florida erases deficit, blows out MSU

GAINESVILLE, Florida -- A tight opening half broke open in the second with four Florida goals as the No. 5 Gators stayed perfect in Southeastern Conference play with a 5-1 win against Mississippi State Friday in front of a James G. Pressly Stadium crowd of 1,572.

The Gators found themselves playing from behind after less than two minutes of action. The Bulldogs were awarded an early corner kick and Hannah Smith sent the ball to the middle of box, which was put in off the volley by Bulldog’s goals leader Shannen Jainudeen.

Florida evened the score in the 10th minute. Tessa Andujar sent a centering ball to Savannah Jordan in the middle of the box. Jordan’s shot was blocked and Havana Solaun touched the deflection back out to Jordan. Her next shot scored at the upper slot of the middle of the goal.

The second half scoring flurry started with Jordan’s second goal of the match at 64:17. With a Bulldog on each hip, Jordan ran down Andujar’s cross into the box and just had the scoring touch on the ball from nine yardsn out.

For the second time in six days, Andujar scored a goal for the Gators. Meggie Dougherty Howard sent a ball from just inside the Bulldog half. Andujar beat her defender to get a touch on the ball with her left foot to score at 70:29.

Sophomore Brooke Sharp pushed the lead to 4-1 at 73:01. From low in the box, Andujar put the perfect touch on the ball to find Sharp just inside the top edge of the box. Her hard low shot from 10 yards scored at the far corner.

Florida’s scoring finished when Liz Slattery and Betsy Middleton exchanged passes from above the box. Slattery returned the ball the Middleton, who was located just left of center above the box. Middleton’s left-footed shot from 22 yards scored at the upper slot in the 84th minute.