Special report on the Florida Gators lacrosse team:
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)
Notable:
* Caroline Fitzgerald is just two ground balls away from passing Nora Barry (141) for the most all-time at Florida
* The Gators have won 18 consecutive BIG EAST games dating back to the 2015 season
* #PirrecaPower: Pirreca sisters Shayna and Sydney have combined to score 26% (67/255) of Florida’s goals this season
* Three Gators scored their first goal of the season: Paige Aldave, Katharine Hamer, and Alix Lopez
O’Leary’s Insight:
“A true team effort today. I’m really proud of how some of our younger players responded to playing significant conference minutes. We were able to clean up some of our unforced errors, which is critical before a big game at Temple next weekend.”
Up Next
The Gators will head to Philadelphia, Pa. to challenge BIG EAST rival Temple (12-2, 5-1) on April 22.