Two second-half goals from sophomore Bianca Gibbs moved the No. 20 University of Florida soccer team (8-3-1, 3-1-1 SEC) from a halftime tie to a 4-2 victory over the Kentucky Wildcats (5-2-6, 1-2-2 SEC) Friday afternoon in front of a James G. Pressly Stadium crowd of 1,139.

The Wildcats struck first Friday. After maneuvering away from a Florida defender near midfield, sophomore midfielder Sarah Gaunt dribbled the ball down the field and passed it through two more defenders to senior forward Courtney McCrudden.  McCrudden drove the ball into the Gators’ box and scored at 7:04 to give the Wildcats an early 1-0 lead.

The Gators were quick to answer back as freshman forward Katie Green chased a lob pass down the left side of the field.  When reaching it, she kicked around her defender and passed it across the box to wide-open sophomore midfielder Daniela Sanchez.  Sanchez controlled the ball and kicked the ball past Kentucky junior goal keeper Anne Ogundele to tie the match at 1-1 at 14:50.

Kentucky did not let the tie stand for long and found another opportunity near the Gators’ goal.  Sophomore forward Callie Lanphier brought the ball to the end line and sent a cross into the box to Gaunt. She hit it into the net at 20:11 to give Kentucky the lead at 2-1.

With the ball back in the Kentucky box, sophomore forward Bianca Gibbs passed it to senior midfielder Lindsey DeLorenze.  DeLorenze lightly passed the ball to senior forward Rie Sawai who, at 35:58, tapped a ball off the goal keeper that slowly bounced into the net to tie the match at 2-2.

"It came from the left side," Sawai said. "I knew I needed to finish it because I was very close to the goal and we needed to score."

After a Kentucky defending miscue on their side of the field, Sawai and senior forward Cherry Pickman got the ball to Gibbs in the box.  Gibbs, after a deflection, hit the eight-yard shot at 69:15 to put the Gators on top 3-2.

Gibbs scored her second goal just over five minutes later. With players gathered up on the left side of the Wildcats’ net, Sawai crossed the ball across the box to a wide-open Gibbs.  Gibbs took a few touches on the ball and hit a sharp 12-yard shot past Ogundele at 74:26 to increase the Florida lead to 4-2. 

"I wanted my run to be disciplined so I kind of held it off," Gibbs said. "I figured the ball would follow around and I would just get on the end of it."

Gibbs is the first Gator to score two goals in the run of play this season. Her five points (two goals, one assist) is the most for a Gator this season. Sawai ended with four points of her own (one goal, two assists).

Gibbs performance wasn't a surprise to UF Head Coach Becky Burleigh, as Gibbs led the Gators in scoring during the 2005 spring season.

"Bianca has always scored some clutch goals for us, and her play today wasn’t that much of a surprise," Burleigh said. "What we ask of Bianca is that she has a good offensive and defensive presence out there on the field."

Senior Jen Gardner made her first appearance in goal since suffering a fracture in her left Maxilla bone versus Florida State on Sept. 16. The UF coaching staff had determined pre-match that junior Brittni Goodwin would play in goal the first half and Gardner would play the second half. Gardner, who wears a mask to protect her cheekbone, said she doesn't think about the injury when on the field.

"I think instincts take over. I'm not thinking about whether the ball is going to hit me or anything like that," Gardner said. "It's just 'I've got to go get the ball. It's mine. It's in my box.'"

Burleigh thought the Gators followed their roles more closely in the second half.

"In the first half, we didn’t play together as a team," Burleigh said. "In the locker room at half time we told our team that if we are going to play as individuals, then we are going to give up easy goals and not be a competitive team.  In the second half, people were more disciplined in their specific roles and did a better job.  That led to a significant difference in the way we played."

The Gators started the match without three of their usual starters and will be without two of them for the remainder of the season.  Sophomore midfielder Jasmine Johnson, tied for fourth on Florida with seven points (three goals, one assist), will have surgery on a meniscus tear to her left knee.  Junior defender Amber Presnick has left the team, and freshman midfielder Ameera Abdullah has a stress fracture in her left shin and will be out of action at least two weeks.

Florida continues SEC action on Sunday, Oct. 9 when they play host to SEC co-leader Vanderbilt.  Match time is set for 2 p.m., and fans are encouraged to make banners for the match in support of the Gator soccer team.  The top prize in the banner competition is $100.00, and following the match, kids (ages 12 and under) are invited to have cupcakes and ice cream with Alberta for her birthday.

Streaming video of Sunday’s match is also available on www.GatorZone.com – check out the GatorVision section for more information.  Audio and live stats of the match can also be found at www.GatorZone.com.