Roundtable: Five Big Questions Facing Florida Lacrosse
Ranked among the top teams in the country, Florida lacrosse has started the season 6-2. But with conference play around the corner, and a highly anticipated matchup with No. 1 North Carolina now postponed, the Gators still have plenty to prove.
WRUF.com’s beat writers Abigail Justice and Jasmine Valcin break down some of the biggest questions surrounding Florida’s season so far. From the Gators’ standing in Big 12 play to the strengths and weaknesses shaping their early success, here’s what to watch moving forward.
With Big 12 play starting March 28 and Florida picked No. 1 in the Big 12 preseason poll, how are the Gators looking?
Abigail Justice: The Big 12 teams Florida plays are all stacking their conference games toward the end of the season, but Florida’s schedule is a little different. The Gators will still have some nonconference and unranked matchups mixed in during their hectic Big 12 schedule.
That could work in their favor. Games against teams like Jacksonville and South Florida give Florida a chance to reset during conference play, while other teams are facing back-to-back Big 12 matchups without a break.
Jasmine Valcin: Florida’s early schedule has been tougher than most Big 12 teams. They’ve already faced several ranked opponents, such as Navy and Clemson, while teams like Cincinnati have yet to see that level of competition.
That experience will pay off once conference play kicks in. By playing multiple top 25 teams from different conferences, the Gators are exposing themselves to an early look at the NCAA tournament. This advantage gives them time to figure out weaknesses in themselves, as well as weaknesses in opponents they may face again once the postseason starts.
Despite being projected near the bottom in the preseason polls, Cincinnati sits at 7-4. Is this a team that can challenge Florida?
AJ: Cincinnati could end up being one of Florida’s closer scoring games. The Gators have shown they can start games strong, but they’ve also had moments where they slow down late.
If Florida can stay consistent for all four quarters, it should still have the edge. But if those late-game lapses show up, Cincinnati could make things interesting.
JV: Cincinnati’s biggest weapon is draw specialist Morgan Handzel. She’s a key player who can control possessions and make a big impact on the game.
Draw control has been a weak spot for Florida at times, so limiting her impact will be important. If the Gators can control the draw, they should still be in a good position to win.
Additionally, Cincinnati’s record does not reflect the level of competition it’s faced compared to Florida. The team has not played a top 25 team at all this season, yet it has still recorded losses, unlike Florida. While the Bearcats’ record may be better than the Gators’, the team has not seen competition like the Gators have.
Florida has shown strong scoring this season but some inconsistency in draw control (125-for-236) and penalties. What stands out the most?
AJ: Early in the season, draw control was a major issue. In the loss to Michigan, Florida won just eight of 24 draws. Even in the win over Loyola, the Gators only managed eight of 30.
But those numbers have started to improve. With more than 10 freshmen and several newcomers on the roster, some early growing pains were expected.
JV: There’s definitely been an upward trend for both draws and penalties. Coach Amanda O’Leary has pointed to draw control as a focus area, and recent games have shown improvement.
For example, against Penn, O’Leary called draw controls a highlight of the game. Specifically, Jenny Woodings recorded seven draw controls by herself. Florida’s offense is no doubt unstoppable when it starts rolling, so winning those possessions is key to making the team’s offense that much more deadly.
In terms of penalties, the team struggled early on to adjust to the new green card rule, which adds more man-up opportunities for teams, especially against Clemson early this season. However, Florida has not had as many cards or penalties since, so the Gators are once again improving in areas that needed work early in the season.
Florida has scored more than 15 goals in five games already. Is this one of the best offenses in the country?
AJ: It definitely has the potential to be. Clark Hamilton is one of the most dynamic players in the country and can step into multiple roles on the field. She’s also quick to credit her teammates, which says a lot about how this offense operates. Florida has plenty of talent around her, which makes this unit even more dangerous.
And that’s where the Gators are able to separate themselves from other Big 12 teams like Cincinnati and Colorado. Just like them, Florida has star power, but it doesn’t stop there. They’re getting results from all over the field, with multiple players stepping up and scoring hat tricks in games.
That balance is what allows Florida to consistently put up high goal totals and makes this offense much tougher to defend.
JV: Hamilton is a star, but the real strength of this offense is depth. Coach O’Leary noted that one of the team’s biggest strengths is its unselfishness, willingness to share the ball, and trust in one another in the attacking zone. The Gators have offensive weapons, like Hamilton, Frannie Hahn, Boo DeWitt and Gabbi Koury, who can cause issues for teams.
Because of that, the scoring is spread out. The Gators’ top five scorers combine for 90 goals and 27 assists. In comparison, Colorado’s top five only accumulate 58 goals but 28 assists, so while they move the ball well like Florida, but Florida is scoring more efficiently.
Both Cincinnati and Arizona State outscore the Gators in goals, but their scoring distributions rely heavily on the first five or six girls. For Florida, the bench, like Ryann Frechette, and even freshmen, like Autumn Blair, can score just as well as the starters.
Because of their ability to share the ball well and their talented depth, the Gators will dominate the net if they are on when conference play starts.
Florida was set to face No. 1 North Carolina, the defending national champion that knocked the Gators out of last year’s NCAA Final Four, though the game has been postponed. What would a matchup like that say about where Florida stands right now?
AJ: I don’t think it’s necessarily a game Florida was expected to win. North Carolina (8-0) is undefeated, the defending national champion and the No. 1 team in the country.
For Florida, the biggest issue is consistency. The Gators have come out really strong in the first half of games, but they slow down in the second half. Against a team like North Carolina, that’s something that can really hurt you. If Florida wants to compete with teams at that level, they absolutely have to stay consistent for all four quarters.
JV: The biggest thing was the level of competition. Florida was going from playing an unranked Kennesaw State to facing the No. 1 team in the country that’s still undefeated. The postponement helps, as it can prepare Florida even further for the match.
It’s also the same North Carolina team that beat Florida last season, so that matchup will be a sour one for the Gators to face again. However, the outcome of the game will be an important checkpoint to see how the Gators stand up to nationally great teams and a good place to self-evaluate themselves.
Category: Gator Sports, Gators Lacrosse
