Freshman Karly Findorff picked the perfect time to score her first, then second, collegiate goals as the No. 3 seeded Florida soccer team (17-4-2, 9-2 SEC) opened NCAA Championship play with a 3-0 win over Miami (9-7-5, 4-4-2 ACC) Friday evening in front of a chilly James G. Pressly Stadium crowd of 1,032.

The Gators now face another in-state rival in Sunday’s second round. UCF (15-4-3, 7-1-1 CUSA) defeated Auburn (10-8-2, 6-5 SEC) 3-1 in Friday’s opening match collect the Golden Knight’s seventh tournament opening win in the program’s 12 NCAA appearances. Florida advances past its opening match for the seventh time in the program’s 11 NCAA appearances.

Findorff, who had turned in eight shots on goal in 2007 from her center midfield position, found the back of the net twice within a two-minute span to open up a tense, scoreless match to a 2-0 Gator lead.

Her first score at 60:26 came off a four-yard header set up by a Lauren Hyde free kick. Less than a minute and a half later, Findorff struck again, this time scoring on a four-yard shot. She was set up by Ameera Abdullah, who showed some nice footwork to bring the ball down the right side and into the box. Deep in the UM box, Abdullah sends the ball across the box. Megan Kerns looks to make a play at the corner of the six-yard box, but she lets the ball continue to Findorff who finishes it into the far corner.

“I’ve been waiting for one of those for awhile. I hit a few posts earlier in the season so getting that is a great thing. I give total credit to Lauren (on the first goal),” Findorff said. “We won the game so that’s all that matters.”

For Florida, it was the seventh time this season the Gators scored twice within a three-minute span.

Florida scored again at 76:57 when Ashlee Elliott took a shot in the box that was deflected back into the box by the goalkeeper. Ashley Harris tracked it down just wide of the six-yard box and sent the five-yard shot into the far post corner. It was her eighth goal of the season, which stands her third among the 2007 Gators in goals and points (19).

Florida’s goalkeepers split halves for the ninth consecutive match and both made needed saves to give the Gators the school-record tying 15^th shutout of the season. The Hurricanes had numbers in the box in the 28^th minute as Florida had trouble clearing the ball from danger. UF goalkeeper Meghan Berlingo came out to end the play just above the six-yard box in the midst of three orange jerseys. Late in the second half, Miami’s Beverly Goebel made a nice turn in the box and took a left-footed shot, but Katie Fraine made the stop on the hard shot.

Florida was happy advance, but UF Head Coach Becky Burleigh is looking for improved play from the Gators on Sunday.

“I’d like to give credit to Miami. I thought they really took us out of our rhythm in the first half,” Burleigh said. “I certainly didn’t think we played as well as were capable of playing, but we’re going to have to step it up and make a few adjustments if we want to go deep into the tournament.”

Florida will now face UCF in NCAA Second Round action on Sunday, Nov. 18. In the Golden Knight’s last NCAA Championships appearance in 2004, UCF upset Florida 3-2 in opening round action at Pressly Stadium.

Match time is set for 1 p.m. at Pressly Stadium. Tickets for Sunday’s second round are $7.00 for adults and $3.00 for children 17 and under and senior citizens. The first 200 UF students to show identification at the gate will be admitted free. Streaming video and audio of Sunday’s match is available free on www.GatorVision.tv. Live statistics and audio of Sunday’s action can be found on the official website of the Florida Gators – www.GatorZone.com.

NCAA Field (Region that contains Florida)

* - denotes host institution