The No. 15 University of Florida soccer team (4-4-2, 0-2 SEC) lost 2-0 to No. 10 Tennessee (7-1-1, 2-0 SEC) Sunday afternoon in front of a Regal Soccer Stadium crowd of 1,581. This marks the first time in the program’s 13-year history that Florida has opened league play with two losses.

The Gators found themselves again behind after giving up an early goal. Kylee Rossi took the ball from Erica Griffin above the 18-yard box and headed to the goal. Gator goalkeeper Meghan Berlingo, making her first start for Florida Sunday, came off her line to try to make the stop, but Rossi was able chip it over her into the empty goal at 4:09. Rossi scored again at 20:16, hitting a hard 16-yard left shot to the far post corner. She also scored both of UT’s goals in UT’s 2006 2-1 win over UF in Gainesville.

Despite the score, Florida was moving the ball well in the opening half, recording five shots on goal. In the 20^th minute, Ameera Abdullah beat two defenders in the UT box, but her shot was saved out of bounds for a Gator corner kick by UT goalkeeper Jaimel Johnson. KeLeigh Hudson took a 14-yard shot in the 23^rd minute that was also saved for an UF corner kick. Shelley Lyle brought the ball through the UT box, sending it to Abdullah on the left side of the box. Abdullah moved along the endline before crossing the ball to the far post where Stacy Bishop tried to head it, but UT’s Johnson made the save.

For the match, Florida recorded 11 shots on goal, which doesn’t include two second-half shots that hit the crossbar. In the 72^nd minute, Abdullah’s eight-yard shot hit the cross bar. Bishop had two good looks at the goal within three minutes. Her 20-yard free kick was saved by Johnson in the 77^th minute. She shot again, this time from 22 yards in the 79^th minute, but drew the crossbar.

Johnson, who recorded a career-high 11 saves Sunday, was the difference in the match said UF Head Coach Becky Burleigh.

“The difference in the game was goalkeeping,” Burleigh said. “Jaimel made some huge saves today.”

The Gators have not won a match (0-2-2 during the stretch) since posting a 2-0 win at Drake on Sept. 16. Burleigh has confidence that Florida will find a way to get wins.

“If this team will stick with this, trusting the fact that we cannot be playing this well and not have it come together at some point,” Burleigh said. “It will come together at some point. But they have to stick together.”

Next up, the Gators continues SEC Eastern Division competition when they play host to Vanderbilt (3-5-2, 0-1-1 SEC) on Friday, Oct. 5. Match time is set for 8 p.m. at the James G. Pressly Stadium and admission is free. In the Commodores opening weekend of SEC play, they tied Alabama 1-1 2OT and lost 2-1 at Auburn. Streaming video and audio of the match can be heard on www.GatorZone.com.