Florida
The Florida lacrosse team celebrates a goal in the team's win over James Madison University on Saturday, April 13, 2024. Photo courtesy of Bella Rosa.

Red-Hot Florida Lacrosse Travels to Cincinnati

.The No. 9 Florida lacrosse team hits the road for a matchup against the Cincinnati Bearcats, Saturday.

Win Streak

The Gators (13-2, 4-0 AAC) have won 13 consecutive games marking the longest active streak in the nation. They are two wins away from tying the school record of 15 straight wins.

Throughout the win streak, the Gators have defeated three ranked opponents in James Madison University (JMU), Maryland and Princeton. Moreover, they’ve remained unbeaten in conference play. Florida has scored double digits in all of its games this season with its largest margin of victory coming by 20 against Liberty 23-3 at home.

Recent Accomplishments

In a 15-7 win against JMU April 13, Danielle Pavinelli scored twice and assisted three times, moving her up to fifth in all-time career points in program history.

Elyse Finnelle was named AAC Goalkeeper of the Week and Pavinelli was named the Conference Attacker of the Week. Finnelle notched a career-high of 12 saves in the win last week.

After being named to the Tewaaraton watch list in February, Emily Heller was named a top-25 Tewaaraton Award nominee. Specifically, the award is the lacrosse Heisman Trophy awarded to the best NCAA players of the season. In fact, Heller notched two goals in the win against JMU and is third on the team in goals with 30. Additionally, she’s first in ground balls with 19.

Matchup Preview

Florida is 12-0 against Cincinnati in school history, last defeating them 20-5 in Gainesville last year. The Gators stand in first in the conference with the Bearcats sitting in fourth.

Cincinnati (10-5, 2-2 AAC) lost to Temple April 13 snapping its two-game win streak. On the season, the Bearcats hold two of the leading scorers in goals in the AAC in Lauren Ottensmayer and Camryn Callaghan.

Last week, Hailey Joy Simpson was awarded AAC Freshman of the Week and Callaghan was named to the AAC Honor Roll.

Furthermore, the Gators and Bearcats are balanced on both sides of the field. They’re both in the top three for draw controls and in the top-25 in save percentage and scoring defense in the conference.

First draw is Saturday at noon.

About Kevin Perez

Kevin Perez is a first-year student at the University of Florida. He is majoring in Journalism with a specialization in Sports and Media

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