Florida Women's Lacrosse

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#8 UF opened the season 3-0 with a 16-15 road win at #2 North Carolina:

No. 8 Gators Knock Off No. 2 North Carolina in Chapel Hill:

Freshman Sydney Pirreca scored a career high five goals.

By Kelly Reynolds | Saturday, February 20, 2016

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- It was a total team effort at Fetzer Field as the No. 8 Gators moved to 3-0 on the season with a 16-15 win over No. 2 North Carolina (3-1) Saturday afternoon. Freshman Sydney Pirreca went off with a team-high five goals, Florida's freshmen accounted for seven scores in the game, seven Gator players scored and UF pressured aggressively on defense in a classic powerhouse battle in Chapel Hill.

In the seven-year history between the Gators and Tar Heels, UF locked up its second win, both coming in Tar Heel territory. The Gators start their season 3-0 for the second time in the program's young history and notched their second top-15 victory in as many ranked clashes so far this season.

While five Florida players registered multiple-goal games, Caroline Fitzgerald and Sydney DuPre led a feisty UF defense with three caused turnovers each and DuPre made it three straight games with a defensive score for Florida, just her second career goal as a Gator.

North Carolina scored the first goal of the game and extended its lead to 5-1 and then again 8-4 before the Gators went on a scoring splurge with final four goals in the first half for an 8-8 tie. The youngest Pirreca had a hat trick in the first half alone and right out of the gates in the second, put the ball in the net for the 8-9 advantage in the second.

Carolina and Florida traded scores in the second before a Shayna Pirreca goal at 20:18 gave the Gators a 12-11 lead they wouldn't relinquish. UF extended it to 14-11 on Sydney P.'s fifth goal of the game and 16-13 on DuPre's game winner. The Tar Heels scored the final two to narrow UF's lead, 16-15, but a crucial draw control from Taylor Bresnahan on the final draw sealed the deal for the Orange and Blue.

RECORDS
No. 2 North Carolina: 3-1
No. 8 Florida: 3-0 

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Ten different Gators scored Saturday -- including three goals each from Sammi Burgess, Nicole Graziano and Mollie Stevens -- as No. 3 Florida defeated Dartmouth, 16-6, to move to 4-0 on the season and deliver head coach Amanda O'Leary her 100th win at the University of Florida.

O'Leary, the fifth winningest active Division I women's lacrosse coach, is now 100-27 (.787) all-time at Florida, boasts a career record of 262-92 (.740) and has her Gators squad 4-0 for the second time in the program's young history.

Burgess scored three of Florida's first four goals of the game in the first 12 minutes to stretch the Gators lead to 4-1, and well-balanced attack kept the momentum in favor of the Orange and Blue offensively. Sam Darcangelo, Carli Marsh and Allie Pavinelli all cashed in their first scores of the season, while Caroline Fitzgerald also sent in her first goal of the year after a fast break to give Florida four consecutive games with a defensive score.

The Gators' high pressure, scrappy defense helped limit Dartmouth to just three goals in each period. Florida led 10-3 at the half after Lindsey Ronbeck connected with Stevens for an over-the-shoulder success at the buzzer. Senior defender Sydney DuPre made it four straight games with multiple caused turnovers, forcing two against the Big Green, while Lauren Lea chipped in a pair as well. Senior goalkeeper Mary-Sean Wilcox moved to 4-0 in the cage for UF and had at least one save for the 10th straight game with three against Dartmouth.

Graziano's season-best three goals were just the tip of the iceberg as the fifth-year Gator also came up with a team-high four draw controls and posted a team-best four points with an assist on Burgess' second score of the day.

With a comfortable 15-5 lead in the second period, UF took advantage of the opportunity to get its bench some quality experience with 10 players subbing in down the stretch to represent the Orange and Blue for the first time in 2016.

THE RECORDS
No. 3 Florida: 4-0
Dartmouth: 2-1

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3.1.2016

I guess I'll get around to posting the women's lacrosse rankings:


Gator Country
Andrew Spivey, March 1, 2016

Special report on the Florida Gators lacrosse team:

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- In a top-five showdown featuring No. 3 Florida and No. 2 Syracuse at the Carrier Dome Tuesday, the Gators emerged victorious in sudden-death overtime, 11-10, after Sammi Burgess connected with junior Mollie Stevens one minute and six seconds into the first overtime period.



The Orange and Blue improved to 5-0, racked up their third ranked win of the season and knocked off the No. 2 team on the road for the second time this year after defeating then-No. 2 North Carolina Feb. 20 in Chapel Hill. Tuesday's win was the fourth overtime game in the eight meetings between the Gators and Orange and marked Florida's first-ever win in Syracuse.



At the start of overtime with the game knotted 10-10, Syracuse won one of its 17 draw controls, but the Gators were persistent. Stevens caused a big-time turnover and set up on the offensive end for the game-winning goal after being fed by Burgess.



Senior goalkeeper Mary-Sean Wilcox was lights out for the Gators with nine saves to Allie Murray's two for Syracuse on the afternoon.



Florida's freshmen accounted for five goals against the Orange, including a hat trick for Lindsey Ronbeck. The first-year Gators put up UF's first three goals of the game via two scores from Sydney Pirreca and one from Ronbeck before Syracuse responded with three of their own to knot the game at 3-3 with 12:33 remaining in the first. The Orange took a 4-3 lead with 6:21 remaining in the half, but Burgess and Ronbeck teamed up for another three-goal Gator run for a 6-4 Florida advantage at the half before the back-and-forth battle in the second.



Trailing 9-7 with 15:45 left in the game, UF closed the gap with a 3-1 run down the stretch courtesy of Burgess, senior Nicole Graziano, the BIG EAST Midfielder of the Week, and Stevens goals for the 10-10 tie heading to OT.



Junior Taylor Bresnahan highlighted UF's back line with a team-high three caused turnovers and four ground balls in Tuesday's affair.



THE RECORDS

No. 3 Florida: 5-0

No. 2 Syracuse: 5-1

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3.4.2016

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- A season-high thirteen Gators scored at Donald R. Dizney Stadium as No. 3 Florida defeated Niagara 19-3 in Friday-night action to improve to 6-0. The Gators scored 19 goals, their most in a game this season, led by three each from seniors Devon Schneider and Sam Darcangelo, while a pair of freshmen in Paige Aldave and Alix Lopez added two each to the tally for their first goals donning the Orange and Blue.

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3.6.2016

#3 UF concludes road trip with 7-6 win at #10 Stony Brook. The Gators have wins over 4 ranked teams in their 7-0 record:

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Fifth-year senior Nicole Graziano stepped up big for the Orange and Blue with four goals, an assist, five draw controls and two caused turnovers as the No. 3 Gators edged No. 10 Stony Brook, 7-6, at LaValle Stadium Sunday afternoon. Florida improved to 7-0 on the season with its third top-10 win on the road and fourth ranked win of the season.

Graziano, the reigning BIG EAST Midfielder of the Week, made a case for weekly honors yet again with season highs in goals (4), points (5) and draw controls (5) against Stony Brook. In the cage, senior Mary-Sean Wilcox went the distance for Florida to improve to 7-0 on the season with eight saves. Wilcox has eight or more saves in all three of UF's top-10 road wins.

Florida was dominating in the draw circle, taking 11 draws compared to Stony Brook's two.

Junior Mollie Stevens put the Gators on the board first at the 26:38 mark of the first period, but the Seawolves countered with two straight scores for the 2-1 lead before Graziano took over with four unanswered scores for the 5-2 lead at the half.

The Seawolves slowly chipped away at the Gators lead to tie the game 5-5 at the 14:19 mark in the second period on a man-up, free-position goal, but junior attack Sammi Burgess got one right back for Florida after being fed by Graziano with 14:07 on the clock. Junior defender Taylor Bresnahan followed with her third defensive goal of the season for the 7-5 Florida lead before Stony Brook countered with 9:35 on the clock to narrow UF's lead, 7-6.

Stony Brook took the lone shot in the last nine minutes of play with 1:08 on the clock, and Wilcox came up huge yet again to solidify Florida's seventh win of the season.

The Gators now return home to the Sunshine State for a five-game home stand after snapping Stony Brook's five-game home-opener winning streak with Sunday's victory.

THE RECORDS
No. 3 Florida: 7-0
No. 10 Stony Brook: 1-1

NUMBERS OF NOTE
•31: straight games with a goal for junior Mollie Stevens, who has scored in every game she has played in dating back to May 2, 2014
•13: straight games with at least one save for senior goalkeeper Mary-Sean Wilcox, who had eight against the Seawolves
•11: consecutive games with a point for junior Sammi Burgess, who scored Florida's sixth goal of the game
•8: days, four games and four wins for Florida over Spring Break
•6: defensive goals for Florida in seven games, as junior Taylor Bresnahan took her third of the season to the house against Stony Brook for the game winner
•4: road wins for the Gators in 2016 so far, three of which are top-10 wins
•4: all-time wins now for the Gators over the Seawolves, as Florida owns the all-time lead in the history of the series with Stony Brook, 4-1, including their second win in Stony Brook territory

O'LEARY ANALYSIS
"This was a hard-fought win. Nicole (Graziano) did a great job today playing a complete game: offensively, defensively and on the draw. We've played four games in the last eight days… and we came out with four wins. It's been a tough stretch. We're looking forward to being at home in Gainesville for the next couple of weeks."

UP NEXT
Next up, the Orange and Blue will enjoy a nice five-game home stand in the Sunshine State. The Gators will host No. 14 Boston College (3/11), No. 20 Towson (3/14), No. 1 Maryland (3/19), Vanderbilt (3/26) and Temple (4/2) before their next road swing to Georgetown April 9.

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3.11.2016

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Junior Sammi Burgess led the Gators with a career-tying four goals and seniors Nicole Graziano and Devon SchnWunderlich chipped in two each, but Florida's defense went to work Friday night in a 13-5 win against No. 14 Boston College to highlight the Gators' fifth top-15 win of the season.

Florida, now an undefeated 8-0 in 2016, notched its first win against BC in the first meeting ever between the two programs. The Gators found themselves extensively in their defensive half as the Eagles (4-3) tried to slow down the game -- including a seven-minute BC possession to start the second half -- but the Orange and Blue were up for the challenge defensively, and capitalized in transition offensively with eight different scorers.

Junior Taylor Bresnahan forced two Boston College turnovers to highlight the night for the defense, while classmate Caroline Fitzgerald fought for a team-high three ground balls for the Gators. Senior keeper Mary-Sean Wilcox was steady as always to pick up her eighth win of the campaign, but freshman Haley Hicklen turned away an impressive four BC shots in just 5:31 of play to end the game.

After a back-and-forth battle in the first period, the Gators took a 6-4 lead into the locker room at the half, but put the pedal to the metal in the second, outscoring the Eagles 7-1 to close it out. Seven different Gators scored in the second period, highlighted by freshman Madi Hall's second career goal.

The Gators return to The Diz Monday for a 6:30 p.m. clash with No. 18 Towson to continue a five-game home stand.

THE RECORDS
No. 3 Florida: 7-0
No. 14 Boston College: 4-3

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UF beat Towson to advance record to 9-0. #1 Maryland faces off with the #2 Gators next Saturday at 12 PM EDT in Gainesville:

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No. 1 Terps, No. 2 Gators Clash in Gainesville Saturday

Both Florida (9-0) and Maryland (5-0) are undefeated in 2016.

By Kelly Sobers | Friday, March 18, 2016


Opening draw is set for 12 noon Saturday between the Gators and Terps.

Two of the nation's unbeaten women's lacrosse teams face off in Gainesville Saturday, March 19, at noon when No. 1 Maryland (5-0) visits Gainesville for a clash with the No. 2 Gators (9-0) at Donald R. Dizney Stadium.

NO. 2 FLORIDA VS. NO. 1 MARYLAND
Maryland Terrapins (March 19)
Time: 12 Noon (ET)

SETTING THE SCENE

Cornell (5-0) and No. 12 Southern California (5-0) join the No. 2 Gators and No. 1 Terps as undefeated teams up to this point in the season.

The Gators and Terps have common opponents in North Carolina and Syracuse so far on the season, as Maryland also defeated UNC (8-7) in Chapel Hill and Syracuse (14-9) at Syracuse.

Florida has defeated six ranked opponents so far in 2016, three of those on the road. Breaking it down, the Gators own two top-five wins, three top-10 wins, five top-15 wins and six top-20 victories this season. Florida will play its seventh ranked clash Saturday against the Terrapins.

The Gators have never played a 1 vs. 2 match-up in the program's six-and-a-half year history. Florida is 2-2 all-time against the No. 1 ranked team in the country, twice defeating Northwestern, while falling short to UNC in 2014 and most recently Maryland in 2015 in College Park.

Florida is additionally 4-3 against the defending national champion, having played the previous year's champ five of the last six seasons. The Gators' game with Maryland Saturday marks the sixth time in seven years of UF's program history Florida will meet the defending champ.

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#1 and defending national champion Maryland defeated #2 Florida in Gainesville:


Florida moved to 6-1 this season against ranked opponents and 9-1 overall on the year.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- A spirited crowd of 1,015 braved early afternoon rain showers Saturday in Gainesville to see the nation's top two lacrosse teams go head-to-head at Donald R. Dizney Stadium. The No. 1 Terrapins earned a 14-4 decision over the No. 2 Gators, improving to 6-0 on the season, while Florida (9-1) shouldered just its first loss of the 2016 campaign.

The nation's No. 1 and No. 2 ranked freshmen players in Gators Sydney Pirreca and Lindsey Ronbeck led the Orange and Blue with three goals and four points combined. Redshirt senior Nicole Graziano found the back of the net to account for Florida's fourth score and three of UF's five draw controls.

Maryland jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but the Gators quickly countered with two Ronbeck goals for a tie game with 10:10 remaining in the first period. The Terps added two scores in the final 5:31 in the first for a 4-2 lead at the half -- the Gators' first halftime deficit all season.

A quick second-half goal from Graziano out of the locker room to bring the Gators within one, 4-3, was quickly negated by an eight-goal splurge from Maryland to extend the Terps' lead to 12-3 with 11:47 remaining in the game. Pirreca put a halt to the run with 8:50 left for a 12-4 game, but it was too little, too late for the Gators. The Terrapins added two more goals for the 14-4 final.

Maryland won 15 draw controls compared to Florida's five, and took advantage of seven free-position shots, cashing in on four of them. Caroline Wannen led the Terps with four goals and seven points on the afternoon. The Gators moved to an even 4-4 all-time against the defending national champion and 2-3 against No. 1 opponents. Maryland is one of three undefeated teams in the country, with USC and Cornell still unscathed as well.

THE RECORDS
No. 2 Florida: 9-1
No. 1 Maryland: 6-0

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3.26.2016

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- The No. 2 Florida lacrosse team kicked off its BIG EAST slate Saturday at Donald R. Dizney Stadium with a 16-2 win over Vanderbilt to improve 10-1 on the season, 1-0 in league play. Eight Gators scored and UF's defense shined, holding Vandy (4-6) to a season-low two goals on a drizzly day at The Diz.

Offensively, the Gators came out attacking early and often. Florida took a season-high 37 shots Saturday -- including 22 in the first period -- to keep Vandy goalkeeper Callahan Kent on her heels. On the defensive front, the Orange and Blue held Vanderbilt to a season-low two goals, and forced 16 turnovers -- including two caused by junior Taylor Bresnahan. Bresnahan also made her presence known with a speedy fast break to goal for Florida's seventh game this season with a defensive score.

Saturday's victory gave the Gators their sixth straight against the Dores as UF improved to 3-1 at home against Vandy.

It was a similar story for both teams in each half -- Florida with eight goals, Vandy with one in both the first and second. Sophomore Allie Pavinelli collected a career high three goals, while senior Nicole Graziano kept her hot streak going with a season best five goals and six points. Junior Sammi Burgess extended her point streak to 15 straight games with a point, three straight with at least one assist. The Pirreca sisters each contributed two scores in Saturday's showdown.

In goal for Florida, the senior veteran Mary-Sean Wilcox and freshman Haley Hicklen held it down 30 minutes apiece, Hicklen denying a season-high six on the afternoon.

Florida found the back of the net on five of 10 free-position shots, including a perfect three-for-three from Graziano. The Gators got out to a 3-0 lead before the Dores first countered with a Kelly Chandler goal at the 18:56 mark in the first. UF then went on an eight-goal run to take solid control of the game. Julie Blaze accounted for Vandy's goal in the second period with 25:31 remaining in the game.

THE RECORDS
No. 2 Florida: 10-1
Vanderbilt: 4-6

NUMBERS OF NOTE
•66: all-time wins for the Gators at home in Donald R. Dizney Stadium
•37: shots for Florida, a season high, compared to just 16 for Vandy
•23: ground balls for Florida compared to Vanderbilt's 14
•15: consecutive games with a point for junior Sammi Burgess, who assisted Nicole Graziano on her fourth goal of the game with 26:52 remaining in the second
•7: games with a defensive goal for the Gators as junior Taylor Bresnahan took her fourth of the season to goal with 8:29 remaining in the first period
•6: wins all-time for Florida against Vanderbilt. The Gators are now 6-2 against the Dores, including a 3-1 record at home with Saturday's victory
•6: saves for freshman Haley Hicklen in 30 minutes of play in the cage -- a new career high
•5: ground balls for junior defender Caroline Fitzgerald to tie her season high. Fitzgerald also battled for a team-tying two draw controls and caused one turnover against the Commodores
•4: Gators with a multiple-goal outing against the Dores: Nicole Graziano (5), Allie Pavinelli (3), Shayna Pirreca (2) and Sydney Pirreca (2)
•1: more game in Florida's five-game home stand. Florida hosts Temple April 2 at noon before heading to Georgetown April 9

O'LEARY ANALYSIS
"I'm really, really happy coming out of here with a win against a very good lacrosse team in Vanderbilt. They are very-well coached. They are aggressive and play hard, and I thought our team matched that and played to the best of our ability. Offensively this week, we talked about the value of possession. I thought we came out here and generated a lot of shots, which was great and something we didn't do against Maryland. Defensively, we were solid. Our defensive unit played great and shut down a high-powered offense in Vanderbilt. Very proud of our defense and our goalies -- I thought they all played really well."

UP NEXT
The Gators have one more home game against Temple (4/2) to wrap up a five-game home stand before hitting the road to Washington, D.C., for a conference clash at Georgetown April 9. Florida will play three of its last five conference games on the road.

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4.2.2016

UF beat Temple 10-9 to advance their Big East conference record to 2-0:

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Freshman Lindsey Ronbeck netted her second hat trick of the season and senior defender Sydney DuPre caused a Temple turnover with 55 seconds left in the game to solidify No. 2 Florida's 10-9 victory in a tight battle against the Temple Owls Saturday at Donald R. Dizney Stadium.

Six ties laced a Saturday's gritty affair in drizzly and humid conditions in Gainesville. After a closely contested first half, the Orange and Blue led 8-7 heading into the locker room. Both the Gators (11-1, 2-0 BE) and Owls (8-3, 0-1 BE) buckled down in the second. After 15 first-half goals between the two teams, the second was limited to two scores each from UF and TU.

Florida jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on Sammi Burgess and Ronbeck scores, but Temple countered for an eventual 3-3 tie as a back-and-forth battle ensued. The Owls challenged the Gators on the defensive end, controlling time of possession and capitalizing on their offensive chances.

Out of the half-time break, senior Devon Schneider gave Florida a 9-7 advantage, but Temple gobbled up the next 13 minutes of clock generating Megan Pinkerton and Brenda McDermott goals for a 9-9 tie. Ronbeck posted the Gators' game-winner with 4:16 remaining in the game. After one of freshman Haley Hicklen's two saves in the cage and the game tied 9-9, Florida called a time out to set up on the offensive end for Ronbeck's success and the 10-9 advantage.

An untimely Gators turnover with 2:47 remaining in regulation meant persistence for a stop on the defensive end. DuPre hustled TU's Rachel Schwaab into a turnover with just 55 seconds remaining. Freshman Madi Hall picked up the ground ball, and the Gators successfully transitioned to the offensive end and held for their second BIG EAST victory.

THE RECORDS
No. 2 Florida: 11-1, 2-0 BIG EAST
Temple: 8-3, 0-1 BIG EAST

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4/9/2016

UF doubled up Georgetown 14-7 using all 29 players on the Gators roster:


WASHINGTON -- No. 2 Florida used a total team effort Saturday at Cooper Field to defeat Georgetown, 14-7, and improve to 12-1 on the season, 3-0 in BIG EAST play. Every available Gator -- 29 players -- saw action against the Hoyas to contribute to Florida's win on a chilly day in DC.

Senior Nicole Graziano and sophomore Shayna Pirreca led the scoring for Florida with four goals apiece – a career-tying tally for Pirreca. Six Gators found the back of the net offensively. On the defensive end, UF caused 10 of Georgetown's 14 turnovers, including a career-tying two from junior Sammi Burgess, who netted three goals for a hat trick on the afternoon.

Sixteen Gators played in front of a 'home' crowd, sophomore goalkeeper Olivia Cole hailing from Alexandria, Va., and 15 others from nearby Maryland. All three keepers, including Maryland products Haley Hicklen and Mary-Sean Wilcox saw time in the cage, with the veteran Wilcox (12-1) earning her 12th win of the season. Hicklen denied a career-tying six shots in just over 26 minutes of action after starting the second half.

The Gators were gritty, edging out the Hoyas in draw controls, 12-11, and ground balls, 17-16. Graziano and junior Caroline Fitzgerald both scooped up three draw controls to aid UF's efforts and freshman Lindsey Ronbeck added a career-tying two.

Florida got out to a 2-0 lead courtesy of Pirreca and Burgess goals before the Hoyas netted their first at the 22:04 mark. The Gators held steady for a four-goal run – two each from Pirreca and Graziano – before Taylor Gebhardt scored for the 8-2 halftime margin.

The Orange and Blue made their record 11-0 when leading at the half, adding six down the stretch. Five different Gators scored in the second, as Burgess finished UF's scoring with back-to-back scores, the last coming with 6:46 in the game.

Georgetown scored the final three goals of the contest in DC, and the Gators cleared the bench for quality road experience in a tough environment.

THE RECORDS
No. 2 Florida: 12-1, 3-0 BIG EAST
Georgetown: 3-8, 1-1 BIG EAST

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4.13.2016

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida freshman Lindsey Ronbeck powered the No. 2 Gator lacrosse team to a 15-5 victory over Marquette with a career high five goals and seven points in mid-week action Wednesday at The Diz as the Orange and Blue improved to 13-1 on the season, and kept a clean slate at 4-0 in BIG EAST action.

Ronbeck, whose seven points were the most for a Gator in a game this season, scored four of the Gators first seven goals, including the first two of the game, as Florida worked a shutout first period for the 12-0 lead at the half. Ronbeck found Carli Marsh for the junior's fourth goal this season, and the final score of the first half, before adding her fifth goal and second assist on Nicole Graziano's behind-the-backer in the second half.

Florida's 13-1 start to the 2016 season is on track with 2013's impressive 17-1 start. Wednesday added to the success as the Gators won the draw control, the battle for ground balls and went 4-for-6 on free-position shots against the Golden Eagles.

Per usual, freshman Haley Hicklen started the second period in the cage for the Gators after senior Mary-Sean Wilcox (13-1) controlled a perfect first half with three saves. Sophomore Olivia Cole closed out the final 7:33.

After Graziano's trick shot gave Florida the 15-0 lead with 17:46 remaining in the second, Marquette scored the final five goals of the game, but not before the Gators made it back-to-back games with the whole team contributing. All 29 available players saw action in Florida's 13th win of the 2016 season.

It's back to the road for Florida with match-ups at Villanova (4/16) and Cincinnati (4/20) before the Gators' regular-season finale and Senior Day April 24 at The Diz versus UConn.

THE RECORDS
No. 2 Florida: 13-1, 4-0 BIG EAST
Marquette: 4-9, 1-2 BIG EAST

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4.16.2016

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- Sophomore Shayna Pirreca put up a team high five points, including a career high three assists, as the No. 2 Gators defeated the Villanova Wildcats 14-4 Saturday at Villanova Stadium to clinch one of four spots in the 2016 BIG EAST Tournament hosted by Georgetown May 5-7.

Nine different Gators scored Saturday and the Orange and Blue (14-1, 5-0 BIG EAST) took a season high 42 shots en route to victory over Nova (3-12, 1-4 BIG EAST). Both Florida and UConn remain undefeated at 5-0 at the top of the league standings and have solidified spots in the conference tournament. The two squads will play April 24 in Gainesville on Senior Day.

Florida had five goals and five different goal scorers in the first half for a 5-2 lead heading into the locker room at the break. Sammi Burgess, Caroline Fitzgerald, Carli Marsh, Sydney Pirreca and Lindsey Ronbeck all found the back of the net in the first period. Villanova scored first and then took a 2-1 lead before UF knotted the contest and pulled ahead for good with Marsh's success.

For the second straight game Ronbeck led UF in goals with a hat trick Saturday to total eight goals on the week, while Fitzgerald made it eight games with a Gator defender scoring a goal when she bounced one in with 1:30 on the clock in the first.

After half, the oldest Pirreca made it back-to-back Gator goals to stretch the lead, 7-2, as UF opened the final period on a 5-0 run before the Wildcats countered on a free-position goal with 16:54 on the clock to make it 10-3. Junior Alex Puller scored her third goal of the season, while sophomore Morgan Bracken netted her first of the season and third of her career at the buzzer.

Florida caused eight of Villanova's 14 turnovers and won the draw, 11-8.

THE RECORDS
No. 2 Florida: 14-1, 5-0 BIG EAST
Villanova: 3-12, 1-4 BIG EAST

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4.20.2016

The Gators picked up a win at Cincy in their next to last Big East game. A big game with UConn is coming up this weekend in Gainesville followed by the Big East tourney in Washington D.C.

CINCINNATI, Ohio -- Junior Sammi Burgess led Florida with a hat trick and reigning Rookie of the Week Lindsey Ronbeck put up a team-high six points Wednesday in mid-week play as the No. 2 Gators capped off regular-season road action with a 17-5 win at Cincinnati. Five players had multiple-goal outings as UF put up its second-best offensive output of the season with 17 goals.

Florida improved to 15-1 on the season and an undefeated 6-0 in BIG EAST play. The Orange and Blue will wrap up the regular-season slate Sunday against UConn at noon. With the Huskies' win Wednesday against Georgetown, the BIG EAST regular-season champion will be determined Sunday in Gainesville. Florida will kick off the afternoon with its Senior Day celebration at approximately 11:40 a.m. prior to opening draw at The Diz.

Cincinnati started Wednesday's clash with two straight goals, but a Graziano success, followed by a Sydney Pirreca free-position goal evened the game at 2-2. From there, Florida took control. After the Bearcats two opening scores, the Orange and Blue used an 8-0 run for a comfortable lead before Cincy added its third of the afternoon at the 9:40 mark in the first.

UF added five more before halftime for a 13-3 margin at the break.

Unlike the high-scoring first period, the second featured just four goals from the Gators and two from the Bearcats for the eventual 17-5 final. Three of Florida's second-half goals highlighted the afternoon as senior Carly Ross scored her first goal since the Gators' season opener after being sidelined with a wrist injury. Freshman Alix Lopez found the back of the net for her first goal in BIG EAST play, her third career score, and senior Beth Willertz bounced in her first goal this season with 14 ticks on the clock in regulation.

Ross was Florida's second-leading point scorer Wednesday at Sheakley Athletics Center with four points, including her goal and three assists.

Florida was 4-for-9 on free-position shots, won the draw 13-10 and picked up 25 ground balls to Cincinnati's 17. The Orange and Blue also took 33 shots to Cincy's 11 on the day.

THE RECORDS
No. 2 Florida: 15-1, 6-0 BIG EAST
Cincinnati: 4-11, 0-5 BIG EAST

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