Gators Picked #2 Behind Texas A&M

Discipline. Loyalty. Commitment.

Those are just three of the core values Becky Burleigh has instilled in the University of Florida women’s soccer program.

Winning and championships have been the by-product, with more than 300 victories in 18 seasons at the school.

Despite losing seven players, including five who went on to play in the National Women’s Soccer League, the 2013 season doesn’t figure to be any different for the defending Southeastern Conference regular season and Eastern Division champs and SEC tournament champions.

“There was a lot of talent and a lot of leadership (lost from the 2012 squad),” said Burleigh, who is 319-82-27 in her time in Gainesville, Fla. “That group had been leaders almost since they had been on campus. We’re definitely going to miss them.”

Safe to say, though, rebuilding never has been a part of the Gators’ vocabulary. Altho[show_disconnected][show_to accesslevel=’Subscriber’]ugh losing Erika Tymrak (FC Kansas City), Jo Dragotta (Boston Breakers), Holly King (Washington Spirit), Adriana Leon (Chicago Red Stars), and Kat Williamson (Portland Thorns) to the NWSL would leave a void in any program.

Tymrak, recently named NWSL Rookie of the Year, entered the NWSL playoffs as her team’s second-leading scorer, while Williamson, who suffered torn meniscus after five games in her senior year and missed the rest of the season, has started all 22 games for the Thorns. Portland was scheduled to face Kansas City in the National Women’s Soccer League semifinals Aug. 24.

“There were some strong personalities in that group,” Burleigh said of a group that also included McKenzie Barney and Tatiana Perez. “They definitely walked the walk. They were pretty vocal leaders as well.”

But Burleigh said the strengths of the 2012 team, which won the program’s 12th regular-season title and its 10th SEC tournament crown, were different from the ones that will make the 2013 club successful.

A year ago, Florida won a league-best 11 games en route to an 11-2 mark. It allowed only one goal in sweeping to another SEC tournament title. It then shut out Florida Gulf Coast University and the University of Central Florida before losing to Notre Dame in the third round of the NCAA tournament in Gainesville.

Burleigh said one strength of last season’s team was its holding center midfielders. She said a lack of experience at that position this year will force the Gators to look to other positions and to exploit those strengths.

“We’re going to look a little different than we did last year,” Burleigh said. “It doesn’t mean it is better or worse. It is just going to be different.”

The differences won’t prevent Florida from reloading, Burleigh said. After all, there is plenty left in the tank when you have six returning starters led by defender Taylor Travis, defender/midfielder Christen Westphal, and midfielders Havana Solaun (Gainesville, Fla.) and Annis Speese.

Solaun (seven goals, eight assists, 22 points) and Speese (six, four, 16) were second and fourth, respectively, on the team in scoring. Florida had six players reach double digits in points last season.

“The important thing is the returning players lead within their personalities and their strengths,” Burleigh said. “We’re not going to replace a particular person with a different person. We want to make sure all of the roles on this year’s team are filled.”

Burleigh isn’t sure the magnitude of that challenge, but she is confident an eight-member freshman class will add depth and create competition for playing time. The SEC coaches apparently agree.

In the preseason poll, the coaches picked Florida to win the SEC East. They also picked Texas A&M (by a vote of 8-6) to win the SEC. That’s fine with Burleigh, whose team is #9 in the NSCAA preseason poll. Texas A&M is ranked #12.

“I think it is a little different for us because the target is a little more on their back than it is on ours,” Burleigh said. “Ultimately, we’re intent on meeting our goals. Can we be disciplined? Can we have each other’s back, and do that every game and every practice?”

Burleigh and her coaching staff will strive to find answers to those and many other questions starting Aug. 23 in the season opener against Florida Gulf Coast. Florida also will play Oregon State, Florida State, and Florida International in the first two weeks of the season.

By then, Burleigh should have a good indication how well the 2013 team is living up to the program’s core values.

“If we execute our core values at a high level our ceiling is limitless,” Burleigh said.