The No. 15 University of Florida soccer team (11-4-4, 7-1-3 SEC) claimed sole possession the 2006 Southeastern Conference title Friday after playing South Carolina (11-5-4, 5-2-4 SEC) to a 1-1 double overtime tie Friday evening in front of a soaked Eugene E. Stone III Stadium crowd of 144.

The Gators won the 2006 Southeastern Conference title outright Friday with their 24 points off their league record of 7-1-3.  The only team with a chance to share the title with Florida was Vanderbilt. For that to happen, the Commodores needed to earn three points with a win in their match Friday at Kentucky and South Carolina needed to defeat Florida. Neither situation happened, as Kentucky defeated VU 1-0 Friday in Lexington, Ky.

The teams played in a constant rain, which started off light and became heavy as the match continued. Probably the best opportunity for either team in the opening half came in the 31^st minute. USC’s Felicia Schroeder had a 1v1 opportunity with Gator goalkeeper Brittni Goodwin. Schroeder took the 12-yard shot, but Goodwin was able to deflect the ball out for a USC corner kick.

South Carolina’s Mary Worthen ended the scoreless tie soon after the start of the second half when she hit her third goal of the season at 47:05. She received the ball from Kim Miller and then moved vertically through the box and placed the ball in at the near post from six yards.

The score was knotted at 68:00 when the Gators made good on its second consecutive corner kick opportunity. The ball bounced around after Ameera Abdullah’s corner kick, but no team could gain control. The Gamecocks tried to clear the ball, but the attempt ended at the feet of Shana Hudson. Her 18-yard shot made its way through the personnel in the box to find the back of the net. The goal was the first for the junior defender.

By the end of regulation, there was standing water visible on many spots on the field. The bad playing conditions continued to deteriorate in the overtime periods and neither team could get find the winning goal. Florida played the final 14 minutes of the match a man down after Daniela Sanchez received her second yellow card of the match.

“Although we wanted the win, we can live with a tie considering the conditions tonight,” UF Head Coach Becky Burleigh said.

Both teams extended their strings of overtime matches Friday, as it was the fourth consecutive for the Gamecocks and the third straight for Florida. The three consecutive overtime matches equals the UF school record set in the 2003 season.

Next up, Florida opens Southeastern Conference Tournament play on Wednesday, Nov. 1 at 6 p.m. (ET). The Gators’ first-round opponent is yet to be determined. Streaming audio for Wednesday’s match can be heard on www.GatorZone.com