Florida Women's Lacrosse

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4.1.2017

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Coming off a road loss at No. 1 Maryland, the University of Florida women's lacrosse team (9-2, 3-0) responded brilliantly on Saturday afternoon, defeating BIG EAST rival Vanderbilt 16-6.
 
The Gator defense stifled Vanderbilt in the first half, allowing zero goals on 12 shot attempts while forcing the Commodores into 11 turnovers. Florida would enter halftime with a 12-0 lead, and held the shutout for over 35 minutes before a Jill Doherty goal brought the score to 14-1 in the second half.
 
The 16 goals scored by Florida were the most Vanderbilt has allowed in a game this season, with a previous high of 13. Entering Saturday's contest, the Commodores ranked 12th in the NCAA in scoring defense (9.00).
 
Senior attacker Mollie Stevens paced the Gators offensively, scoring six points (four goals, two assists), to go along with three ground balls, three draw controls, and one caused turnover. Saturday's game was Stevens' third this season with at least six points.
 
Sammi Burgess, Allie Pavinelli, Sydney Pirreca, and Lindsey Ronbeck each added two goals for the Gators. Burgess, who also tallied two assists, moved into second place all-time at Florida with 65 in her career. She is currently tied for fourth place on the single-season assist list with 24, and is only eight away from passing Ashley Bruns (31) for the most in a season.
 
Florida's defense limited Vanderbilt to its lowest-scoring output of the season. Senior Taylor Bresnahan and freshman Cara Trombetta each caused a turnover against the Commodores, with Bresnahan also contributing three draw controls and two ground balls.
 
Sophomore goalkeeper Haley Hicklen earned her ninth victory of the season, recording seven saves and a career-high .700 save percentage in 51:32 of action. Backup goalies Olivia Cole (two saves) and Kenzii Kittell each saw time in the cage.
 
Complete Team Effort:

All 29 Gators who were available to play against Vanderbilt saw meaningful playing time in a well-rounded performance.
Nine Gators scored a goal
Six Gators recorded an assist
12 Gators scooped up a ground ball
Five Gators won a draw control
Four Gators caused a turnover
 
Records:

No. 3 Florida: 9-2 (3-0)
Vanderbilt: 5-4 (2-1)
 
Notable:

The Gators have won 14 straight BIG EAST games dating back to the 2015 season.
Caroline Fitzgerald is just six ground balls away from becoming Florida's all-time ground balls leader (142).
Sammi Burgess needs 10 points to become the fifth Gator to amass 200 career points.
#PirrecaPower: Pirreca sisters Shayna and Sydney have combined to score 33% (57/174) of Florida's goals this season.
The Gators own a 74-11 (.871) record all-time at Donald R. Dizney Stadium.
Florida had a 12-11 in the draw circle against Vanderbilt. Entering Saturday's game, Vanderbilt ranked ninth in the NCAA with 14.88 draw controls per game.
 
O'Leary's Insight:

"I'm really pleased with the entire team's effort today against a very good Vanderbilt team. For us to come out and score 16 goals is quite an accomplishment. Everyone who played today contributed in a positive way, and that's a great sign for us moving forward."

Up Next:

The Gators will travel to Milwaukee, Wis. on April 5 for a 1 P.M. tilt with BIG EAST foe Marquette (3-7, 1-1).

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Milwaukee, Wis. – The University of Florida women's lacrosse team (10-2, 4-0) put away the Marquette Golden Eagles (4-8, 2-2) with ease on Wednesday afternoon, 21-7.
 
Nine different Gators scored a goal, and Florida's defense limited Marquette to 19 shots while forcing 16 out of 22 Golden Eagle turnovers.
 
The Gators would utilize a 7-0 run early in the game, and a 9-0 run between the first and second half to build a commanding 17-4 lead before beginning to bring in second and third-lines. Wednesday's game was the second game in a row that every Gator who was available to play saw playing time.
 
Sophomore attacker Lindsey Ronbeck tied her career-high with seven points (five goals, two assists), while Sammi Burgess (two goals, four assists) and Madisyn Kittell (three goals, three assists) each contributed six points. Burgess tied her career-high and tied the Florida single-game record with four assists, all in the first half. Kittell's three goals and assists were both career-highs.
 
The seven goals scored by Marquette were its fewest in conference play this season. Entering Wednesday's contest, the Golden Eagles ranked first in the BIG EAST in scoring (17.33 goals per game).
 
With five caused turnovers, senior Caroline Fitzgerald set a career-high and tied the Florida single-game record. Fellow defenders Taylor Bresnahan and Cara Trombetta both added a pair of caused turnovers, with Bresnahan also compiling three ground balls and two draw controls.
 
Sophomore goalkeeper Haley Hicklen earned her 10th victory of the season, with seven saves and a .583 save percentage.
 
Record-Setting Afternoon
The following Gators either set or tied their career-highs against Marquette:
Sammi Burgess – Assists (Four)*
Caroline Fitzgerald – Caused Turnovers (Five)*
Lindsey Ronbeck – Points (Seven)
Sydney Pirreca – Draw Controls (Four)
Madisyn Kittell – Goals (Three), Assists (Three), Points (Six)
* = Tied the Florida single-game record
 
Records:
No. 3 Florida: 10-2 (4-0)
Marquette: 4-8 (2-2)
 
Notable:
Caroline Fitzgerald is just four ground balls away from being Florida's all-time leader (142).
Sammi Burgess needs four more points to become the fifth Gator to amass 200 career points.
Burgess is also just four assists away from breaking the UF single-season assist record of 31.
#PirrecaPower: Pirreca sisters Shayna and Sydney have combined to score 30% (58/195) of Florida's goals this season.
The Gators have won 15 straight BIG EAST games dating back to the 2015 season.
With seven saves today, Haley Hicklen has surpassed 100 saves on the season (105).
 
O'Leary's Insight:
"A true team effort today. Everyone who was eligible to play saw time on the field. It is never easy traveling such a distance mid-week, but our team stepped up and played very well. I'm really proud of our effort on the defensive end, especially being able to force turnovers without fouling. Everyone worked hard in our ride and we had quite a few players see success on the offensive end. A great day for Florida Lacrosse."
 
Up Next
The Gators return home to Donald R. Dizney Stadium on April 8 for a noon tilt with the Cincinnati Bearcats (5-6, 1-2).

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UF went 2-0 for the week:




GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The University of Florida women's lacrosse team (11-2, 5-0) earned its fifth BIG EAST victory of the season in dominating fashion on Saturday, topping the Cincinnati Bearcats (5-8, 1-4) by a score of 19-2.

 

The Gators opened the game on a 16-0 run, limiting the Bearcat offense to just two shot attempts in the first half compared to 29 for Florida.

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Indianapolis, Ind. – The University of Florida women's lacrosse team (13-2, 7-0) won a 22-2 decision over the Butler Bulldogs (1-14, 0-7) on Saturday afternoon, in the first meeting between the two schools.
 
Florida dominated Butler in all facets of the game: Outshooting the Bulldogs 43-12, winning a 19-7 edge in the draw circle, and forcing 18 turnovers. The 22 goals scored by the Gators tied a season-high, and the 20-goal victory was the largest margin of the season.
 
14 different Gators scored a goal, led by a trio of hat tricks from Lexi Bolton, Madisyn Kittell, and Shayna Pirreca. Three goals for Bolton equaled a career-high, while Kittell tied her career-high. Junior midfielder Allie Pavinelli led all scorers with four points (two goals, two assists).
 
Freshman goalkeeper Kenzii Kittell anchored Florida in the goal cage, tying her career-high with five saves in a career-high 25:21 minutes of action. Junior Olivia Cole recorded three saves in 22:53 minutes, and sophomore Haley Hicklen earned her 13th victory of the season.
 
The Gators have now guaranteed a spot in the BIG EAST Tournament, with two conference games left on the schedule.
 
Stevens Sets Draw Control Record
With nine draw controls in the first half against Butler, attacker Mollie Stevens passed Shannon Gilroy (83) for the most draw controls in a single-season in Florida history. Stevens is currently at 85 and counting with two regular season games remaining. The senior also collected a ground ball for the 16th game in a row, extending her Florida record.
 
Records:
No. 3 Florida: 13-2 (7-0)
Butler: 1-14 (0-7)

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Philadelphia – The University of Florida women's lacrosse team (14-2, 8-0) defeated the Temple Owls (13-3, 6-2) on Saturday, 15-5. The loss was Temple's first home loss of the season.
 
With the win over the Owls, Florida has won at least a share of the BIG EAST regular season title for the third year in a row. The Gators will face Georgetown on April 29 for the outright conference championship, as well as the No. 1 seed in the BIG EAST Tournament.
 
The Gators suffocated Temple on the defensive end of the field, limiting the Owls to just 12 shot attempts while forcing 21 turnovers. Florida also held a 19-3 edge in the draw circle, led by seven from senior attacker Mollie Stevens.
 
Defenders Taylor Bresnahan and Aniya Flanagan each forced two turnovers, with Flanagan also recording a ground ball and a draw control. Senior defender Caroline Fitzgerald scooped up three ground balls, passing Nora Barry (141) for the most all-time at Florida.
 
A trio of hat tricks from Sammi Burgess (four goals), Madi Hall, and Mollie Stevens paced the Gator offense. Hall's three goals were a career-high. Junior attacker Shayna Pirreca added two goals and two assists to round out Florida's attack.
 
All three Gator goalkeepers: Haley Hicklen, Olivia Cole, and Kenzii Kittell saw time in the cage, with Hicklen earning her 14th victory of the season.
 
30-30 Club
After scoring four goals against Temple on Saturday, senior attacker Sammi Burgess joined Ashley Bruns (2010) as just the second Gator to record at least 30 points and 30 assists in a single season. Her 67 points through 16 games are already the 10th-most in a single-season in Florida history.
 
Records:
No. 2 Florida: 14-2 (8-0)
Temple: 13-3 (6-2)
 
Notable:
The Gators have won 19 consecutive BIG EAST games dating back to the 2015 season
#PirrecaPower: Pirreca sisters Shayna and Sydney have combined to score 26% (69/270) of Florida's goals this season
Eight conference wins by the Gators in 2017 are the most in a single-season in UF history
Florida has won its first eight BIG EAST games by a combined 98 goals
 
O'Leary's Insight:
"This was a crucial game for us. To be able to come on the road late in the season and pick up a conference win like we did today is huge moving forward. I'm really proud of how aggressive we were on both sides of the field, and we'll look to carry that into a big home game vs. Georgetown."
 
Up Next
Florida will wrap up the regular season at home against the Georgetown Hoyas (9-7, 7-1) for Senior Day on April 29 at 1 p.m.

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Florida Gators
2017 Big East Champion

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The University of Florida women's lacrosse team (15-2, 9-0) claimed its seventh consecutive conference championship, and third consecutive BIG EAST Championship, with a 15-3 victory over the Georgetown Hoyas (9-8, 7-2) on Saturday.

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The No. 2 University of Florida women's lacrosse team claimed four major postseason awards and had 10 players named to the 2017 All-BIG EAST Conference teams on Wednesday, a day before the Gators (15-2) take the field against Temple in the BIG EAST Tournament held at Villanova Stadium in Villanova, Pa.
 
Senior Mollie Stevens is the Attacker of the Year, senior Caroline Fitzgerald is the Defensive Player of the Year, and sophomore Haley Hicklen is the Goalkeeper of the Year. To top it all off the Gators coaching staff, under the guidance of Amanda O'Leary, was tabbed the 2017 BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year after leading Florida to an undefeated 9-0 mark in conference play en route to UF's seventh straight conference title, and third in the BIG EAST.
 
Florida's 10 All-Conference honorees are the most in program history. Led by seven first teamers and three second-team selections, Fitzgerald, Stevens, and sophomore midfielder Sydney Pirreca were all unanimous selection All-BIG EAST First Team picks. Seniors Taylor Bresnahan and Sammi Burgess each made their third All-Conference team, and second First Team honors, along with sophomore Lindsey Ronbeck. Sophomore goalkeeper Haley Hicklen earned her first All-BIG EAST accolade to round out the First Team for the Gators.
 
Junior attacker Shayna Pirreca was named an All-BIG EAST Second Team performer for the second year in a row. Freshman Brianna Harris and Junior Allie Pavinelli joined Pirreca on the Second Team, as the duo of midfielders picked up their first career all-league honors.
 
Notable:
Overall, the Gators' 10 All-BIG EAST honorees were double the amount of the next closest school (Georgetown, five)
Florida's seven First Team honorees were the most by any school, as four other institutions tied for the second-most with two honorees
Head Coach Amanda O'Leary reeled in Coach of the Year/Staff of the Year honors for the fifth time in her tenure at Florida (2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017) and for the second time as a member of the BIG EAST
Caroline Fitzgerald repeated as the BIG EAST's Defensive Player of the Year, and brings home UF's third Defensive Player of the Year award in program history
Mollie Stevens is the Gators' third Attacker/Offensive Player of the Year in program history; fellow senior attacker Sammi Burgess took home BIG EAST Co-Attacker of the Year honors in 2016
Haley Hicklen joins Mikey Meagher (2013, ALC) as Florida's second conference Goalkeeper of the Year

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VILLANOVA, Pa. – For the third year in a row, the University of Florida women's lacrosse team (16-2) will play in the BIG EAST Tournament championship game.
 
The Gators routed fourth-seeded Temple (13-5) in the first semifinal on Thursday, 21-9. Florida scored 14 goals in the first half, the most goals ever in a single half in a BIG EAST Tournament game.
 
Florida went on a 14-1 run over the course of 25 minutes of game time between the first and second halves to effectively put the game out of reach. Prior to that Gator run, Temple had scored back-to-back goals, and narrowed the Florida lead to just 6-4.

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2017 Big East Champion:

VILLANOVA, Pa. – The University of Florida women's lacrosse team (17-2) claimed its fifth conference tournament title overall, its fourth conference title in a row, and third BIG EAST Tournament title in a row on Saturday. The Gators beat third-seeded Denver (14-4), by a score of 18-12.
 
The Gators scored 39 goals over the span of two tournament games, breaking their own record from 2015 for most goals scored in a BIG EAST Tournament.

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. – One day after winning the 2017 BIG EAST Tournament, the University of Florida women's lacrosse team received the No. 3 overall seed in the 26-team NCAA Tournament. The Gators have earned a first-round bye and the right to host NCAA First & Second Rounds, along with Quarterfinal action at Donald R. Dizney Stadium.
 
Florida will play host to Southern California and Jacksonville this weekend in Gainesville. The Trojans and Dolphins will play at 4 p.m. Friday May 12, and the winner will earn a date with the BIG EAST Champion Gators on Sunday May 14 at 12 p.m.

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USC knocked out UF in first round:

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Coach Amanda O'Leary sat at a table, mind adrift behind a blank stare. Senior defender Caroline Fitzgerald soon joined her at the postgame press conference with wet eyes and a cracked voice. Nearby, cries echoed across the lobby of the UF lacrosse team's headquarters.

If you want to know what a painful loss looks and sounds like, this was it. Championship dreams faded into a gut-punch defeat Sunday for the Gators. The game lasted a little more than two hours, but the final 7 minutes told the story of Southern Cal's 15-12 victory.

A victory was within grasp, and then it was gone for the No. 2-ranked Gators. In the final game of her college career, Fitzgerald, a senior from Mount Sanai, N.Y., and one of Florida's most dependable players, composed herself enough to explain the pain in words.

"I hope that people look at this moment and know how badly it hurts to end your four years this way," Fitzgerald said. "I hope that sparks something even in just one person's mind, 'maybe work a little bit harder or don't take that play off.' You can't go back now."

If you are around athletics long enough, from the peewees to the pros, you will witness it all eventually if you are curious enough to pay close attention. The agony and the ecstasy. The fabulous and the frauds. The unique and the unexceptional. The realm of possibility is what makes showing up half the fun. You never know what you might see for the first time -- and the last.

When I arrived at Dizney Stadium on Sunday for the second-round NCAA Tournament game between Florida and Southern Cal, a couple of thoughts stood out in my mind: 1. Florida defeated the Trojans in February and owned a nine-game win streak; 2. USC entered on an 11-game win streak, including a first-round win over Jacksonville on Friday.

Based on those facts, you didn't need to be a genius to figure this was likely going to be a good game and despite the Gators playing at home, nothing was certain because the Trojans featured goaltender Gussie Johns, not just one of the elite goalies in women's Division I lacrosse, but in the world.

Her coach, USC associate head coach Devon Willis, has been a goalie for the U.S. National Team since 2007 and starred in several international events for the Americans. Willis and Johns are on the U.S. National Team that is competing in the 2017 Women's World Cup in July in Guildford, England.

In the seesaw battle that unfolded Sunday, the Gators took a 12-11 lead with 7:07 left when Linsey Ronbeck delivered a pass from behind the net to a cutting Caroline Benitez, whose quick shot beat a scrambling Johns. However, over the next three-plus minutes, USC reclaimed the magical elixir known as momentum.

The Gators were up and down in Sunday's season-ending loss to USC. (Photo: Adler Garfield/For UAA Communications) 
A pair of goals by Drew Jackson – the second with the Trojans up a player after UF's Allie Pavinelli was issued a yellow card with 4:47 left – gave USC a 13-12 lead. The Trojans scored again with 3:19 left after a Gators turnover gave them possession, which ended on Gabby McMahon's goal for a 14-12 lead.

It felt over at that point, a stunning turn of events. Two distinctive scenes played out on the field at the final buzzer. The Gators slowly trickled to the center of the field to form a handshake line as the Trojans raced to the far end of the field to embrace Johns, whose 14 saves played a huge role.

"She played lights out,'' O'Leary said. "She was seeing the ball really well. She has really quick hands. She was in perfect positioning on a lot of those. There were some great saves she made out there."

Trojans coach Lindsay Munday offered similar praise.

"She's a phenomenal leader,'' Munday said. "She came up huge for us."

Munday said UF surprised the Trojans with its physicality, speed and level of skill in the first meeting. USC came out physical from the start Sunday and it took the Gators a while to adjust, and when they did, O'Leary said they didn't execute at the level they needed to, both offensively and defensively.

Florida's season ended to a tougher opponent than it would have preferred playing at home as the NCAA Tournament's No. 3 overall seed. Meanwhile, USC advanced to play at Boston College, a surprise winner over Syracuse, in the national quarterfinals. If the Gators had won, they would be at home against Boston College.

Every season ends in what-ifs for all but one team. Some viewed the Gators as possibly that team, but USC and Johns had their own plans.

"Not the way we had hoped to end the season,'' O'Leary said.

The Gators finished 17-3. They advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the seventh time in eight years. Their stay ended quickly for the second consecutive season.

In a few days, the sad images and despair from Sunday will lift and start to let the sunshine back in. That is when O'Leary and the returning players begin to fuel for next season. In time, the good memories will bubble up to replace the worst from their final game for the eight seniors.

It's never easy when your last game doesn't go the way you imagined.

"It's been a great four years here,'' Fitzgerald said. "Unfortunately we weren't able to get it done in those four years." 

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UF opens the 2018 season preseason ranked #5:

floridagators.com/news/2018/1/29/lacrosse-gators-ranked-no-5-in-iwlca-preseason-poll.aspx

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Florida opened 2018 with a good win over a ranked team:

floridagators.com/news/2018/2/11/lacrosse-freshmen-lead-gators-to-well-rounded-win-over-colorado.aspx

#5 Florida 16
#17 Colorado 9

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#5/3 UF is just starting play in Gainesville against #1 ranked Maryland.

floridagators.com/news/2018/2/16/lacrosse-gators-welcome-no-1-maryland-to-gainesville-saturday.aspx

The Gators will have a good idea for what needs to be done to take the next step forward after the game today. UF is 0-3 against Maryland who is one of the top programs in the nation. To be the best, you have you play & beat the best. So far, UF hasn't done what it takes against Maryland.

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The Gators came up short against #1 Maryland losing 16-14 in Gainesville:

floridagators.com/news/2018/2/17/lacrosse-gators-fight-for-60-minutes-fall-just-short-against-terrapins.aspx

It was a solid effort, but not good enough to keep UF from sliding to 0-4 against Maryland.

Up Next: #25 Loyola next Sunday at 12 PM EST in Gainesville.