GAINESVILLE, Fla. \u2014 There were plenty of firsts in No.\u00a020 Florida soccer’s third win of the season.
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\nThe Gators defeated Jacksonville 6-0 Thursday evening at Donald R. Dizney Stadium.
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\nAmong the firsts in Thursday’s win were:
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Thursday’s Scoring<\/p>\n
\nFor the second time this season, Zoe Main<\/a> got the Gators on the board early. ZOE MAIN PUTS US UP BY 1\ufe0f\u20e3<\/p>\n \ud83c\udfa5 SEC Network+ pic.twitter.com\/v90T0tPjSX<\/a><\/p>\n
KATIE JOHNSTON TOP BINS<\/p>\n \ud83c\udfa5 SEC Network+ pic.twitter.com\/9Ckze9nYdT<\/a><\/p>\n
FIRST GATOR GOAL FOR IORI<\/p>\n \ud83c\udfa5 SEC Network+ pic.twitter.com\/BvwRcVk0V6<\/a><\/p>\n
HEADS UP, LENA BAILEY COMING THROUGH<\/p>\n \ud83c\udfa5SEC Network+ pic.twitter.com\/EN98jqhf0P<\/a><\/p>\n
Dymond is shining tonight \ud83d\udc8e<\/p>\n \ud83c\udfa5 SEC Network+ pic.twitter.com\/WiJDG5jjZr<\/a><\/p>\n
What’s better than one Lena goal?<\/p>\n \ud83c\udfa5 SEC Network+ pic.twitter.com\/SIXhStYO48<\/a><\/p>\n
Did You Know?
Records:
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\n\u2014 Gators Soccer (@GatorsSoccer) August 27, 2026<\/a>
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\nThe play started with Iori Watanabe<\/a> finding Kyra Taylor<\/a> in the middle of the field. Taylor played the ball wide to Addy Hess<\/a>, who sent it forward just before being upended. Main caught up to the ball, carried it into the box and sent a right-footed strike into the far corner at 7:09. It was the first goal allowed by the Dolphins this season.
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\nJacksonville’s Lina Ballmann was shown a red card at 20:06 after pulling down Main just outside the box, forcing the Dolphins to play with 10 for the remainder of the match.
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\n\u2014 Gators Soccer (@GatorsSoccer) August 27, 2026<\/a>
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\nThe Gators capitalized on the ensuing free kick, as Katie Johnston<\/a> scored from 20 yards. It marked her second consecutive Thursday with a goal.
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\nFlorida added four goals in the second half.
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\n\u2014 Gators Soccer (@GatorsSoccer) August 27, 2026<\/a>
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\nThe scoring resumed following a Mia Gray<\/a> corner kick in the 56th minute. The ball came out beyond the top of the box, where Main stepped into a shot from distance. Her attempt deflected off a pair of Dolphins before Watanabe collected the loose ball and scored from eight yards for her first collegiate goal.
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\nThe next two Florida goals came just 18 seconds apart.
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\n\u2014 Gators Soccer (@GatorsSoccer) August 27, 2026<\/a>
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\nBailey scored on a diving header off Tatum Borman’s<\/a> centering ball at 64:08.
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\n\u2014 Gators Soccer (@GatorsSoccer) August 27, 2026<\/a>
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\nBailey then helped create Florida’s fifth goal at 64:26. She carried the ball down the right side before finding Sophia Sindelar<\/a>, who took a touch deeper along the inside edge of the box. Sindelar’s centering pass found Montelene Dymond<\/a>, who finished with her left foot from eight yards. It marked Dymond’s second consecutive match with a goal.
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\n\u2014 Gators Soccer (@GatorsSoccer) August 28, 2026<\/a>
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\nBailey completed her first brace with Florida’s final score in the 80th minute. From just inside the Jacksonville half, Charlotte Grim<\/a> won the ball and played it forward to Emma Duval<\/a>. Duval sent a ball into the box that Bailey ran down before scoring on an angled, right-footed shot from 10 yards.<\/p>\n
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\n\tThe 18 second margin between Lena Bailey’s<\/a> first goal and Montelene Dymond’s<\/a> goal equals the third-quickest margin between Gators goals in program history.
\n\tKatie Johnston<\/a> scored her second goal of the season directly off a free kick just outside the box. It marked the third Florida goal scored directly off a free kick in the last six seasons:
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\n\t\tKai Tsakiris<\/a> vs.\u00a0North Florida (Aug.\u00a024, 2025)
\n\t\tNicole Vernis at Georgia (Oct.\u00a021, 2021)
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\n\tThursday marked Florida’s first match since returning to the United Soccer Coaches Top 25. The Gators moved to No.\u00a020 following Sunday’s 3-1 win over defending NCAA champion Florida State.\u00a0
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\nCoach Zimmerman Said\u00a0
\n“Really proud of the team in the second half. We challenged them about our standards. Obviously, the red card changes everything. Credit to Jacksonville. Extremely well coached, very, very good team, some very, very good individual players, but really proud of the way we came out in the second half. \u00a0
\n“We were on the front foot. We were more intentional with our actions, and then so many players stepped up in the second half. It was great to see so many firsts for a lot of them. Really proud of them to finish it the way that they did.” \u2014 Florida head coach Nick Zimmerman<\/a><\/p>\n
\nFlorida: 3-1, 0-0-0 SEC
\nJacksonville: 1-1-1, 0-0-0 ASUN
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\nSeries Record:
\nFlorida leads 6-0
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\nNext Up:
\nFlorida travels to Boca Raton, Fla., to face Florida Atlantic (1-2-1, 0-0 American) on Sunday. The Owls shutout Howard 7-0 tonight in home action.
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\nat Florida Atlantic
\nDate: Sunday, Aug. 30
\nTime: 1 p.m. ET
\nSite: FAU Soccer Stadium<\/a>
\nStream: ESPN +<\/a> with Michael Wottreng calling the action
\nStatBroadcast<\/a>
\nAdmission: Free
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\nJacksonville (1-1-1, 0-0 ASUN) at Florida (3-1, 0-0 SEC)
\nStadium: Donald R. Dizney Stadium (575)
\nWeather: Cloudy, temperatures in 80s, 87% humidity
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\n\t\t\tGoals by Period
\n\t\t\t1
\n\t\t\t2
\n\t\t\tTotal
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\n\t\t\tJacksonville
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\n\t\t\t0
\n\t\t\t0
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\n\t\t\tFlorida
\n\t\t\t2
\n\t\t\t4
\n\t\t\t6
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\nScoring Summary:<\/p>\n
\nShots: JU 1, Florida 16
\nSaves: JU 3 (Taylor Gardner 3), Florida 0 (Jayden Emmanuel<\/a> 0)
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\nCautions:
\nPaula Herranz-JU \u2013 yellow (6:44); Lina Ballmann-JU \u2013 red (20:06); Hannah Jirbril-UF \u2013 yellow (33:51); Nylah Norris<\/a>-UF \u2013 yellow (68:05); Conamore Ndana-UF \u2013 yellow (88:19)
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