Special report on the Florida Gators lacrosse team:
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The ninth-ranked Florida lacrosse team got to hoist the American Athletic Conference regular season trophy after clinching at least a share of the championship with its 22-9 defeat of Vanderbilt on a rainy Sunday afternoon at Donald R. Dizney Stadium.
With the victory, the Gators have now won the regular season conference championship both of their years in the AAC and have now won 10 regular season crowns across three conferences (ALC: 2011, ’12, ’13, ’14; BIG EAST: 2015, ’16, ’17, ’18; AAC: 2019, ’21).
Florida has also now won 38-straight regular season conference games, dating back to the start of conference play in the 2016 season.
Special report on the Florida Gators lacrosse team:
KENNESAW, Ga. – The sixth-ranked Florida lacrosse team dominated Kennesaw State on Wednesday afternoon, defeating the Owls 20-7.
Florida improves to 2-1 on the year, while Kennesaw State drops to 0-2.
The Gators had nine different players find the back of the net on Wednesday afternoon, led by a career-high four goals from Paisley Eagan.
Maggi Hall, Danielle Pavinelli and Shannon Kavanagh each registered a hat trick in the game and the three-goal performance was a career-high for both Hall and Pavinelli.
Brianna Harris (2), Grace Haus (2), Kassidy Bresnahan, Shelton Sawers and Jackie Norsworthy rounded out the scoring column for Florida. Norsworthy’s goal was the first of her collegiate career.
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Assistant Coaches: Taryn VanThof and Nadine Hadnagy
Having lost to James Madison in the NCAA Quarterfinals in 2018 and not making it past North Carolina in the second round of tournament play in 2019, Florida was ready to dive headfirst into its 2020 season, with big wins against the likes of Colorado, Maryland, and Stony Brook within the first few weeks. This year, the Gators return 25 of their 38 players for the 2021 season, with Cara Trombetta most notably returning for her fifth and final season.
ATTACK:
It seemed like Florida was still trying to figure out a consistent attack lineup before the season was cut short. No one player started every game last season, but Grace Haus (11G, 5A) and Hannah Mardiney (3G, 5A) are two returning attackers who seemed to make the most regular appearances. This season, Florida is joined by three new attackers, one of them being Maggi Hall, who ranked as the No. 7 incoming freshman. Even without the most consistent lineup, together w
O’Leary believes Trombetta is the best defender in the country. She has been on the Tewaaraton watch list in each of the last two seasons and was an Inside Lacrosse first-team All-American in the shortened 2020 season.
“She has the 1v1 ability, she sees the field [and] she’s a communicator,” O’Leary said. “She’s everything you want in a defender.”
Trombetta has started every game in her career for the Gators, who picked up impressive wins over Maryland and Stony Brook last year. Her versatility and leadership are critical.
“She’s embraced the opportunity to pass on her leadership skills and even her lacrosse skills to the next class,” O’Leary said. “She’s like having a second coach out there.”