Florida Gators lacrosse cruises past Navy

Special report on the Florida Gators lacrosse team:

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The No. 8 Florida Gators breezed past No. 19 Navy on Tuesday afternoon, defeating the Midshipmen 17-9.

Florida’s offense was in full gear, with Kassidy Bresnahan, Brianna Harris and Shannon Kavanagh each notching five goals in the win. The five goals is a career-high mark for Bresnahan, while Harris tied her career-best mark.

Emily Heller and Madisyn Kittell each added a goal in the win.

Five difference Florida players dished out at least one assist in the victory, with Harris leading the way with two helpers. Grace Haus, Hannah Mardiney, Heller and Kavanagh each registered one apiece.

Florida controlled the draw, winning 18-of-28 on the afternoon. Kavanagh recorded a team-high seven, while Heller and Kaitlyn Dabkowski added four and three, respectively.

Defensively, the Gators held Navy’s leading scorers (Kelly Larkin, Nicole Victory, Kayla Harris) to 3-of-9 shooting on the day.

Becky Browndorf recorded two caused turnovers to lead the team, while Heller, Bresnahan, Harr and Emma Wightman each pitched in one.

Sarah Reznick was lights out in the cage, recording a .533 save percentage with eight saves in 57 minutes of play.

The Gators return to action on Saturday against the Brown Bears in Providence, R.I. Opening draw is set for 12 p.m. at Stevenson-Pincince Field.

How it Happened

*   The Gators got off to an incredibly quick start, scoring five goals within the first six minutes to force a Navy timeout. The run consisted of goals from Shannon Kavanagh (2), Brianna Harris, Emily Heller and Madisyn Kittell.
*   Out of the Navy timeout, Florida continued its run, with Kassidy Bresnahan redirecting a pass to find the back of the net and put the Gators up 6-0.
*   The Midshipmen got on the board for the first time over 10 minutes into the game, but Florida was able to extend its lead after back-to-back goals from Kavanagh and Harris to go up 8-1 with 17:22 left in the first half.
*   Navy went on a mini 2-0 run to pull back to within five at 8-3, but Harris notched her third goal of the day to put Florida back ahead by six goals. Navy punched one in with just over seven minutes remaining in the half, but Bresnahan’s second goal of the day allowed Florida to take a 10-4 lead into the locker room.
*   Coming out of the locker room, Navy scored first, pulling to within five at 10-5, but the Gators went on a 4-0 – thanks to goals from Bresnahan, Kavanagh (2) and Harris – to go ahead nine with 22:05 left in the game.
*   Navy cut the deficit to eight goals with 18:39remaining in the game, but back-to-back goals by Bresnahan brought the Gators to a double-digit lead and a running clock.
*   Harris’ fifth goal of the game put Florida up 11 with just over five minutes remaining, but Navy went on a 3-0 run to close out the game (17-9).
Records
No. 8 Florida (6-2)
No. 19 Navy (2-4)

O’Leary’s Insight
On today’s fast start

*   “That is something we have talked about, the fact that we have come out of the locker room a little slow the last couple of games. It was important for the team to come out. I am proud of how they came out and how they stepped up. This is a really tough Navy team – they are resilient. An excellent team on both sides of the field and they are really well coached, so I am proud of how we came out today.”
Notables

*   Kassidy Bresnahan posted a career-high five goals and five points on the afternoon – including going 5-for-5 (1.000)
*   Emily Heller recorded a career-high four draw controls
*   Shannon Kavanagh moved closer to 200 career points on Tuesday. She currently sits at 198 and would be the ninth Gator to achieve that feat
*   Florida moves to 4-2 against teams ranked in the IWLCA Top-25
*   The Gators take the series lead over Navy, moving to 2-1 all-time against the Midshipmen
*   When scoring at least 14 goals, the Gators are 133-2 (.985) in the 11-year history of the program
*   Florida owns an impressive 96-19 (.835) record in the confines of Donald R. Dizney Stadium
*   Streaking: Kavanagh currently holds the record for most consecutive games with a draw control (42)
*   Streaking: Kavanagh’s 27 consecutive games with a goal is the fourth-longest streak in program history (Record – 40 games, Shayna Pirreca)

Up Next

*   The Gators are back in action on Saturday as the squad travels to Providence, R.I. to take on Brown
*   Opening draw is set for 12 p.m. at Stevenson-Pincince Field
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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.