Florida Lacrosse Survives Bee-Delayed Battle, Stings ASU 14-8

No. 7 Florida weathered a 24-hour delay caused by a bee infestation on the field in Tempe, Ariz., on Saturday and came out firing Sunday. The Gators took down unranked Arizona State 14-8 to extend their perfect record against Big 12 opponents to 32-0.

The unusual delay could have disrupted the team’s rhythm, but Florida (8-2) stayed focused. 

“This was a little bit of a weird situation, but we had a nice laugh with it,” goalie Maya Soskin told ESPN. “We stay focused on what we want and that’s what we did today.”

The Gators started strong in the first quarter, with Susan Radebaugh in net, quickly building a 5-2 lead. Clark Hamilton and Gabby Greene found the back of the net, while Frannie Hahn added a goal assisted by Boo DeWitt. Florida spread the offense effectively in front of the net, taking advantage of ASU’s slower defense.

Draw controls were fairly even throughout the game, but Florida struggled at times with ball control, giving ASU (5-7) opportunities to press and get back into the game.

ASU closed the gap in the second quarter, making it 8-6 at halftime when Florida’s defense and ball handling showed some cracks. Soskin entered in goal toward the end of the quarter to help stabilize the team.

The Gators regained momentum after the half, with goals from Autumn Blair, Greene and Gabbi Koury turning the tide. Kaitlyn Davies added a critical free-position goal late in the quarter to swing the game firmly back to Florida’s favor. 

In the fourth quarter, Hamilton continued her hot streak, scoring off an assist by Caroline Hoskins after a crucial groundball pickup from DeWitt. Blair capped the scoring with a late goal, giving the Gators the final margin.

Soskin finished with a .800 save percentage, allowing only two goals on eight shots. Reflecting on the goalie-room dynamic, she noted the strong support system among the team’s three goalies.

“It really is like a sisterhood,” Soskin told ESPN. “We all love each other, we push each other to be our best, and no matter what we’re going to be cheering each other on.”

Florida’s spread-out offense and resilient goaltending kept its Big 12 streak intact. Now the Gators turn their attention to another conference matchup, hosting Colorado at noon Saturday.

Category: Big 12, Gator Sports, Gators Lacrosse, Lacrosse