Gators Lacrosse Survives Late Comeback Against Clemson

Florida lacrosse escaped a late fourth-quarter comeback to beat the No. 7/8 Clemson Tigers 14-13 on neutral grounds. Excessive penalty cards almost cost the Gators the game, but they held on to extend their win streak to two.

The start of the game could not have gone better for the Gators. They scored four unanswered goals in the first six minutes. Clark Hamilton once again started Florida off, with Boo DeWitt, the transfer from Dartmouth, and Frannie Hahn following after with one and two goals, respectively. 

Despite early offensive dominance, Florida struggled with the officiating. Starters Theresa Bragg and Kaitlyn Davies received yellow cards in the first quarter, which led to man-up opportunities that the Tigers capitalized on. Clemson had three back-to-back goals off these opportunities to tie the first quarter 5-5. 

Gators coach Amanda O’Leary had mentioned her team’s ability to adjust as a weakness earlier in the season, and again following their exhibition game against Scotland, specifically for adjusting to calls. 

“We need to play to the officials,” she said. “That’s one of the things that we need to adapt to a little bit better.”

The second quarter was a dog fight, with two lead changes in the final three minutes. Clemson took the lead late this quarter, its first time during the game. A late save by the graduate goalkeeper, Paige Crowther, and a green card on the Tigers gave Florida a final opportunity to retake the lead. 

And they did. Junior captain Gabby Koury, with a player up, found the back of the net in the final 23 seconds of the quarter to tie 8-8. 

But she was not done. She won the next draw control, creating another opportunity for the Gators. Hamilton found Hahn as the clock ticked down, and Hahn shot a dart right before the buzzer could go off. Hahn put the Gators up 9-8 going into the second half and secured her first hat trick of the season.

Later in the game, the Gators went on another offensive run in the third quarter, almost shutting out the Tigers. However, another yellow card for Bragg and a foul by Ashley Dyer once again opened the door for Clemson to create offensive momentum late in the third quarter, which the Tigers did, cutting the lead by four with the score 13-9. 

The momentum carried over to the start of the fourth quarter as Clemon continued to cut into the Gators’ lead.

Midfielder ​​Natalie Shurtleff presented a problem for the Gators the entire game. The junior had a hat trick in the first quarter, notching the Tigers’ first and final goals of the quarter. Shurtleff also played a critical role in cutting Florida’s lead down, scoring a goal off the free position, making the score 14-12.

After her goal, the game became messy. Back-to-back turnovers on both teams created a scoreless final seven minutes as Clemson scrambled to turn the game around.

A yellow card was once again called on Florida, giving the Tigers the opportunity they had been working to create. Shurtleff, with her fifth and final goal, cut the lead by one with 1:30 left in the final quarter.

Tensions increased further as Clemson won the next possession. It was the graduate goalkeeper Crowther with a crucial save and lockdown defense that would cause a Clemson turnover and hold off the Tigers until the final buzzer sounded.

The Gators travel again on Wednesday to take on Stetson and plan to maintain their undefeated record against the Hatters.

Category: Gator Sports, Gators Lacrosse, Lacrosse