One of the most-used phrases surrounding the No.3 Gators lacrosse team this season is draw controls. A simple statistic, which measures how many offensive possessions a team wins after every goal, but one that has kept Florida on its toes throughout the season.
In their first five games, the Gators (13-2, 4-0 Big 12) lost the draw control to their opponents four times, barely even winning double-digit possessions every match. Now, they are surpassing teams in that category, winning 210 possessions combined to their opponents’ 188.
Florida is not just winning draws against any teams – it is dominating against the top draw teams in the nation. Recently, the Gators beat Arizona State Sun Devils (No. 7 draw percentage ranking, 61.8% draw rate), South Florida Bulls (No. 17, 59.6%) and Cincinnati Bearcats (No. 21, 58.7%).
“We’ve faced some strong competitors in the draw unit this year,” Gators assistant coach Lindsay Epstein said. “We’ve made it our mission to turn the tide and control those draw controls to control the game.”
Epstein, a first-year assistant coach, in addition to Jared Bernhardt, works with the players individually around three times a week to focus on specific techniques, like box outs. The practice and extra attention to detail allow the draw team to perform its best for live reps at group practices.
Epstein emphasized that it takes “a special talent” to draw, including players like Jenny Woodings.
The senior is Florida’s top draw taker, and for good reason. She jumped from winning 18 total draw controls in 2025 to 61 this season, and won nine draws alone against San Diego State. Her physicality is key to her success in the draw, Epstein points out.
“She has really grown this year as a player and gotten a lot more confident in her ability to have a quick wrist, to win the draw in her direction,” she said.
In addition to showcasing a great reaction time, Epstein added that deception is the biggest component of a successful taker. Draws are designed with intention, whether to win or lose. The growing difficulty, though, is the improvement of team scouts, who study the habits of takers.
To combat opposing scouts, Epstein coaches the Gators to approach every draw in the same stance. She says the key is to secure different results from the same stance to keep opponents guessing.
“It’s really important to be deceptive with where you’re trying to place the ball … and hide what kind of draw we’re doing,” Epstein said.
However, draw takers are not the only players who matter during the draw.
Outside of the takers are circle players, whose job is a “huge, huge part” of winning every draw control, according to Epstein. They keep the taker informed about opponent positioning outside the circle and quickly box out and seal opposing circle players.
The two circle players for the Gators are Kaitlyn Davies and Gabby Koury. With 82 draw controls combined, the two captains are the next best players at winning the draw after Woodings.
As a unit, Davies and Koury scrape up possessions. Multiple possessions turn into multiple chances to score and eventually convert to points. Offensive opportunities are a crucial aspect to winning games, a part of the game that gets ignored over goals or assists.
“A lot of the stats on the draw team go unnoticed,” Epstein said. “It’s all about the gritty, unselfish player that is going to find a lot of success.”
As the regular season comes to an end Saturday against UC Davis, and crucial seniors, like Davies and Woodings, are scheduled to graduate, Florida looks to its underclassmen to step up next season. Luckily for the team, Epstein feels the returning players are ready to fill the role, including Autumn Blair.
The freshman has started the last four games, notching six goals and rotating in as a circle player. In all aspects of the game, coach Amanda O’Leary is also on board with Blair becoming a rising vital player for the team.
“She has exceeded all expectations,” she said following Blair’s first hat trick against Jacksonville on April 15. “Playing the way she played defensively, offensively, through the midfield … that kid’s a rock star.”
The Big 12 tournament begins April 30, and the Gators will likely face top draw teams like Arizona State or Cincinnati again. To win a second conference title and make a national run in May, they must keep trending upward—something Epstein believes they can do.
“I’m really happy with how this draw unit has progressed throughout the season,” she said. “I’m excited to see how we battle it out and finish the regular season and prepare for playing in May.”
The Gators celebrate Senior Day today starting at noon at Donald R. Dizney Stadium against UC Davis (7-7, 2-2). A win would give UF the Big 12 championship outright for the second straight year.
