In the preview, the match between the Florida Gators and the Stanford Cardinal had great expectation due to the talented roster of these two teams and the fact that they are among the 10 best programs in the nation — No. 6 and No. 3 respectively. The offensive firepower that may have been expected didn’t materialize. A 0-0 draw in regular time that was solved by Jordan Dibiasi, a Stanford midfielder, who scored the golden goal in the first overtime (96th minute).

            The Gators knew that the ball control they showed in their opening two matches would be more difficult against the Cardinal. The final pass to get the Gators into Stanford’s box eluded UF. The best chance was a long shot by Mayra Pelayo that hit the post. Stanford displayed a strong positional style of play when defending the Gators’ passing paths and pressuring their backline. The defensive pressure by both teams seemed to impact the speed of decisions in the opening half.

            Stanford’s center back Maddie Bauer stepped up her role on the field in the second half. All-American Andi Sullivan also showed good vision, stamina and positional sense. Neither team could solve the scoring puzzle, sending the match to overtime for the third consecutive meeting between the two teams.

            In overtime, it was evident that both teams were tired. Stanford created more chances as most play happened in the Gators’ final defensive third. After a couple of corners, Dibiasi scored the late winning goal after shooting the rebound of her previous shot, which was saved by Kaylan Marckese.

            On Sunday, the Gators will try to get the momentum back when they face the No. 15 UCLA Bruins in Los Angeles at 6 p.m. ET.

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