Florida Lacrosse Loses First Road Game
No. 7 Gators lacrosse lost its first game on the road at No. 10 Navy, 14-11, Saturday.
Strong first and fourth quarters from Florida (3-2) were not enough to overcome the Midshipmen’s run in the middle of the game at Annapolis, Md. The Gators are now 2-2 against top-20 opponents this season.
Florida took control of the game early in the first quarter. High school teammates Frannie Hahn and freshman Caroline Hoskins connected and scored the first of three back-to-back goals.
The Gators also won six of seven draw controls in the first quarter, with three directly leading to goals. These offensive possessions gave the Gators an early 4-2 lead to end the first quarter.
The same could not have been said for the rest of the match. The Gators ended up losing the possession game, only winning three draw controls for the rest of the game.
On the other hand, the Midshipmen (5-0) ended the game with 18 draw controls, with 17 coming from the last three quarters. This is Florida’s third time finishing with fewer draw controls than its opponent in ranked matchups.
These additional possessions for the Navy allowed it to take control of the second and third quarters. The Midshipmen outscored the Gators 11-4 between these quarters, ending the third quarter 13-5. Navy midfielders Ava Yovino and Mikayla Williams each notched their first and second hat tricks, respectively.
For the first time this season, Clark Hamilton did not account for any points and only had two shots the entire game. Instead, two Gators led Florida offensively: Gabby Koury and Boo DeWitt. Koury won two draw controls in the game, one leading to her first goal that put the Gators up 3-1 in the beginning. Both DeWitt and Koury scored themselves a hat trick.
Despite a late run in the fourth quarter, Florida had already dug itself a hole too deep for it to climb out of.
Regardless, the Gators’ defense came back strong this quarter, holding the Midshipmen to just one goal. Maya Soskin played as the Gators’ primary goalkeeper, subbing in for Paige Crowther in the second quarter. Soskin had 11 saves, with four coming in the fourth quarter.
Florida has one week to regroup for its home game against Mercer University next Saturday at noon.
Category: Gator Sports, Gators Lacrosse, Lacrosse
