Florida Gators lacrosse blows out UConn on the road

Special report on the Florida Gators lacrosse team:

STORRS, CT. – The University of Florida women’s lacrosse team (7-1) passed its first BIG EAST Conference game test with ease on Saturday, topping the UConn Huskies (3-5), 20-10.

A pair of seven point performances from sophomore attacker Lindsey Ronbeck (five goals, two assists) and senior attacker Mollie Stevens (five goals, two assists) led the No. 3 Gators. Stevens added five draw controls to bring her season total to 49.

The game was a back-and-forth affair for most of the afternoon, until the Gators went on an 8-2 run in the second half to put the Huskies away. During that run, freshman midfielder Brianna Harris set a new career-high with five points (three goals, two assists).

Caroline Fitzgerald paced the Gator defense, causing two turnovers and scooping up four ground balls. Sophomore goalkeeper Haley Hicklen added 10 saves, her fourth game of the season with double-digit saves.

#PirrecaPower

Pirreca sisters Shayna and Sydney combined for six goals, six assists, and five draw controls against the Huskies. For the season, #PirrecaPower has accounted for 35% (47/135) of Florida’s scoring.

Records:

No. 3 Florida: 7-1 (1-0)

UConn: 3-5 (0-1)

Notable:

*        The Gators have now won 12 straight BIG EAST games dating back to the 2015 BIG EAST Tournament.

*        Florida has also now won 11 straight road games, tying the all-time record set between the 2012-2013 seasons.

*        After tallying two points against the Huskies, Sammi Burgess needs just 20 more to become the fifth Gator to amass 200 career points.

*        Caroline Fitzgerald scooped up four ground balls at UConn, leaving her just 11 short of becoming Florida’s all-time ground balls leader.

O’Leary’s Insight:

“UConn was well-prepared for us today and gave us a great conference opener. It took an all-around effort from our entire team to come out of here with a win. We have a week of preparation ahead to get ready for Denver.”

Up Next

The Gators return home to host BIG EAST foe No. 14 Denver (6-1) on March 25 at 12 P.M. The Pioneers will be the fifth ranked team Florida has hosted in a row.

Andrew Spivey
Andrew always knew he wanted to be involved with sports in some capacity. He began by coaching high school football for six years before deciding to pursue a career in journalism. While coaching, he was a part of two state semifinal teams in the state of Alabama. Given his past coaching experience, he figured covering recruiting would be a perfect fit. He began his career as an intern for Rivals.com, covering University of Florida football recruiting. After interning with Rivals for six months, he joined the Gator Country family as a recruiting analyst. Andrew enjoys spending his free time on the golf course and watching his beloved Atlanta Braves. Follow him on Twitter at @AndrewSpiveyGC.