GAINESVILLE - Nick Zimmerman didn’t need long to put his stamp on Florida women’s soccer. In just his third match at the helm, the new Gators coach watched his team overwhelm No. 3 Florida State 3-1 on Sunday and deliver the kind of result that can reset a season in a hurry.
Florida had not beaten its in-state rival since an upset of then-No. 1 FSU in 2015, and the Seminoles entered on an eight-match run in the series and a 36-game unbeaten stretch in nonconference play. None of that mattered once the Gators started matching Florida State’s talent with more energy, more edge and more physical play in front of a reported 1,653 fans at Dizney Stadium.
“This is a huge, huge win for our program, for our organization,” Zimmerman said. “We’re going to celebrate. We’re going to enjoy it, and then we’re going to get back to work.”
The win gave Florida a 2-1 record and came after a rocky opening to 2026, a 4-3 loss at UCF followed by a 3-2 victory over Coastal Carolina. But Sunday felt different from the start, and the crowd included former Orlando Magic star Grant Hill, whose daughter Lael is a true freshman defender for the Gators.
A two-time national champion at Duke and seven-time NBA All-Star, Hill was among the people celebrating with players’ parents as the Gators finished the job.
“You’re not just beating the team; you’re beating the legacy,” Hill said. “It’s a statement game in a lot of ways.”
Florida’s attack, which had managed just one goal through its first three games in 2025, looks far more dangerous now with senior forwards Kyra Taylor and Zoe Main driving things. Both Mississippi State transfers were central to the breakthrough against the Seminoles.
Main’s corner kick set up the opener, with freshman Mia Gray heading the ball across to Taylor for a simple finish and a 1-0 lead. In the 61st minute, Main surged down the right side and delivered a cross that Taylor buried with her left foot to make it 2-0.
Taylor has already become a tone-setter for Zimmerman.
“The goals that she scores, the work rate, just everything about her … we highlighted her in front of the team - that’s the standard,” Zimmerman said. “When you ask what does a Florida soccer player look like, you just point to her.”
Florida added another in the 79th minute after Tatum Bornum won the ball near midfield and slipped it into space for Montelene Dymond. The senior took over from there, carrying the ball into Florida State’s half, beating the goalkeeper and scoring her first goal as a Gator.
The Seminoles finally answered in the 83rd minute. Ryder Ajeto’s initial touch in the box was deflected by a Florida defender, but Ajeto stayed with it and finished from eight yards to cut the margin to 3-1.
Redshirt senior goalkeeper Jayden Emmanuel helped make sure the lead never got away. In her first start in goal this season, the fifth-year keeper delivered a key stop while Florida led 1-0, diving right to deny Shaniel Buckley in a one-on-one chance.
“My mind was kind of blank,” she said. “I kind of hit flow state a little bit there.”
For Emmanuel, the result was about more than one afternoon.
“Every win is good for us. Every single win,” she said. “Obviously just a little bit sweeter when it’s FSU.”
Zimmerman arrived from Mississippi State after Florida had spent years searching for direction since Becky Burleigh retired in 2020. Tony Amato’s one-year run ended in 2022 because of concerns about his approach with players, and Samantha Bohon’s four seasons produced a 5-23-12 SEC record and four straight losses to FSU by a combined 14-0, including a 5-0 defeat in 2025.
Now, at least for one day, the Gators looked like a team leaning into a new standard.
“It’s who we are,” Emmanuel said. “Just keep watching.”
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