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Florida lacrosse player Danielle Pavinelli (10). [Photo courtesy of Hannah White.]

Gators Lacrosse Beats Loyola

The #10 ranked Florida Gators lacrosse team took down the #7 ranked Loyola Greyhounds at home this afternoon. The Gators scored the final five goals to win the game 14-11.

First Quarter

Loyola drew first blood, taking an early 1-0 lead over the Gators. However, Florida was not to be deterred, as Maggi Hall and Danielle Pavinelli scored the next two. Paisley Eagan netted another for the Gators as they ended the quarter tied 3-3.

Second Quarter

The Greyhounds struck first in the second, scoring only 33 seconds into the quarter. Loyola dominated possession in the early parts of the quarter, scoring another goal before Florida could answer. Freshman attacker Ava Tighe took a defender one-on-one before blowing by her to net the Gators’ first goal of the quarter. Despite some fantastic saves by Florida goalkeeper Sarah Reznick, Loyola scored four goals in the second. Play got a little tough and it resulted in multiple fouls and penalty shots for Loyola in the quarter. The Greyhounds took a 7-5 lead into the half.

Third Quarter

Florida opened up the second half with a goal from Madison Waters that brought the Gators within one. Loyola answered quickly but had the goal disallowed due to a foul resulting in a Greyhound yellow card. Loyola was unphased by going one player down, scoring before the two-minute penalty period ended. Reznick made a last-second save that would have put the Greyhounds up by two at the end of the third. Loyola took a one-point lead into the final quarter.

Fourth Quarter

The Gators entered the fourth quarter with some work to do. Loyola scored early to extend their lead to two, but Florida responded with another goal from Emily Heller, giving her a hat-trick. After another Loyola score, Florida scored five unanswered goals, including Maggi Hall’s fourth-quarter goal making her the second Gator with a hat-trick on the day. The game’s final score was Florida 14, and Loyola 11.

Gators Lacrosse’s Next Game

Florida’s next game is a midweek, spring break matchup against Colgate. The Gators lacrosse team will host the Raiders at Donald R. Dizney Stadium on Tuesday at 6:30. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ for anyone unable to attend.

About Nathaniel Wilson

Nathaniel is a second-year graduate student in the College of Journalism and Communications at the University of Florida. You can reach Nathaniel by email at nathanielwilson@ufl.edu.

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