No. 7 Florida Lacrosse Set For Battle With No. 10 Navy

Florida lacrosse has its work cut out for it against a goat named Bill — not to be confused with Billy. Billy goat is a reference to an adult goat, but Bill the Goat is the mascot for the Navy. And, man, does he pose a challenge.

Saturday morning, the Gators will face No. 10 Navy in an important showdown for its early-season prospects. No. 7 Florida  is currently 3-1, riding a three-game win streak with a notable victory over No. 9 Clemson last weekend. Its opponent this weekend, Navy, is currently 4-0, which means it’s similarly maintaining a four-game win streak. 

Florida ttacker Clark Hamilton has doubled the Gators’ second-best scorer with 18 goals. Following Hamilton, fellow attacker Frannie Hahn has nine with eight assists, which is two more than Hamilton in that category, for whatever it’s worth. 

Navy’s top scorers fall right between Hamilton and Hahn. The stars are Alyssa Chung and Taylor Miles, who will be the focus for Florida’s relatively staunch defense. Chung leads with 16 goals and Miles has 11. 

But Florida’s defense will have to be aware of more than just Chung and Miles. Navy takes a combined 33.8 average shots on goal per game. Just south of that, Florida averages 32 shots, but it holds its opponents to 28.5. Maintaining steady possession of the ball and keeping it out of the Navy’s offensive zone will be key for a Florida triumph. To that point, Gator defender Ashley Dyer currently leads Florida’s defense with four caused turnovers this season. 

Offensively, the Gators are stronger than good ole’ Bill’s squad. When Florida’s attack plays consistently, it holds a shot percentage advantage of 50%. Navy collectively scores under half of the shots it takes at 44%. 

However, the Gators’ offense is working to fill a gap in its starting line. Before her senior season, star attacker Gianna Monaco abruptly left Florida with only one week until its first game. Monaco contributed a competitive 79% shot percentage and scored 73 goals last season. 

Nevertheless, the Gators press on, and taking a win against Navy will be vital for them maintaining their slot in the top 10. After this game, Florida only has one more game against a top 10 foe in  the rest of the regular season, and only two more opportunities to play a ranked team outside of the Big 12. 

The game will start at 9:30 a.m. in Annapolis, Maryland. 

Category: Gator Sports, Gators Lacrosse, Lacrosse