With strikers like Abby Wambach and Andi Sellers, the Florida soccer team should not have any trouble scoring.
That is the problem, however, plaguing the No. 20 Gators. So when they finally broke the scoring drought Friday night, the goal came from an unlikely source.
Defender Danielle Rust scored her first collegiate goal early in the second half in leading Florida to a 3-0 win against Southern Methodist in front of 1,129 at Percy Beard Stadium.
"We knew once we got one (goal), we'd have a chance to get more," UF coach Becky Burleigh said. "I think that kind of broke their back a little bit when they couldn't keep it tied."
With the left side wide open, Rust ran the ball up untouched. From about 15 yards out, the sophomore lofted the ball over SMU goalkeeper Erin McLeod's reach and landed inside the goal.
"After it left my foot, I thought it was going to go in," Rust said. "The whole outside flank was wide open. There wasn't that many players over there, so I had time to run."
Rust's goal snapped Florida's scoreless streak, which lasted more than 150 minutes. The Gators finished the match with a season-high 30 shots.
But Florida (3-2) had attempted 14 shots previous to Rust's goal.
Like in their previous game, when the Gators lost 1-0 to Miami, they wasted several opportunities in the first half.
Florida attempted 12 shots in the first, compared to SMU's four, and watched several barely miss the goal. The UF offense attacked early as Wambach was left open right in front of the goal less than two minutes into the match, but her shot sailed just over the crossbar.
Her near miss was one of six that either missed the goal by a few feet.
"We had so many great opportunities, especially in the first half," Burleigh said. "In the first 15 minutes, it could have been 4- or 5-0. The good thing was that we kept our composure and stayed patient and just trying to do the things that were creating the chances."
Instead the two teams were in a scoreless tie at halftime.
"They did have some good opportunities in the first half, and we were glad that it was scoreless," SMU coach George Van Linder said.
But the Mustangs (4-1) failed to contain the UF attack late in the match.
Wambach added an insurance goal in the 84th minute, rocketing in an 8-yard open shot. Midfielder Christine Johnson rounded out the scoring in the 86th minute with her first goal of the season.
VOLLEYBALL: Florida defeated South Carolina 3-2 after being down 2-0. UF's SEC regular-season winning is now 85 matches.
It's the first time UF has come back to beat an SEC team after being down 0-2 since 1996. Aury Cruz had 28 kills for the Gators.
Doris Yon can be reached at yond@gainesvillesun.com
