via UF press release  

Sixth-seeded Florida Takes on the Third-seeded Dukes for a Trip to the Final Four

  Game Notes (PDF) | Interactive NCAA Tournament Bracket HARRISONBURG, Va. – The No. 6-seeded Florida Gators are on the road to take on third-seeded James Madison in the Quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament. UF earned its spot in the quarterfinal after defeating No. 15 Colorado on Sunday. The Gators topped the Buffs 13-9 after falling in a 5-0 hole just six minutes into the first half. Florida battled back on an 8-0 run and ended up outscoring Colorado 13-4 for the remainder of the game. Senior Shayna Pirreca had four goals in the win and was aided by three goals and two assists from her sister, junior Sydney Pirreca. Junior Haley Hicklen recorded 11 saves in the victory and posted a save percentage of .550. This is the first quarterfinal for the Gators since the 2014 season, when they fell to Northwestern 12-11 in OT. UF is on a quest for its first trip to the final four since 2012 and its second in program history. A live stream of the game will be available through MADIZone, with Curt Dudley on the call. The game will also be live on ESPN 98.1 FM/850 AM Wruf with Ryan Urquhart and Gator lacrosse alumnus Annabeth Collins on the call. NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals: Florida vs. James Madison Stream NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals: Florida vs. James Madison Audio James Madison advanced to the quarterfinal after defeating Virginia 15-12 on Sunday. Kristen Gaudian and Haley Warden each notched four goals in the win, followed by three goals and an assist by Elena Romesburg. A trip to Stony Brook, N.Y. and the NCAA Final Four awaits the winner of Saturday’s game. The advancing team is set to take on the winner of No. 2 North Carolina and Northwestern on May 25. Ticket Information JMU Athletic Tickets | (540) 568-3853 | athletic-ticket@jmu.edu Ticket Price: $7 Children 2 & under are free Seating is general admission Records Florida (17-3) James Madison (19-1) No. 6 Florida at No. 5 James Madison Broadcast Information  Time & Date: Saturday, May 19 at 1 p.m. Live Stream: MADIZone Audio: ESPN 98.1 FM/850 AM WRUF Live Stats: Stat Broadcast Series Information – No. 6 Florida vs. No. 5 James Madison

• This is just the second meeting between Florida and James Madison in program history
• Florida leads: 1-0
• Home: 1-0 | Away: 0-0 | Neutral: 0-0
• Last Time: Feb. 20, 2014 | Gainesville, Fla. | W, 21-8

Coach O’Leary’s Insight On JMU: “They are a fantastic team, really well coached and that is the reason they are there. The team was ranked third in the country, so they are a very good team. Their Tewaarton finalist is excellent, she is going to be a big offensive threat for us. Going into this game, our plan is to continue what we have been doing because it has been working. We are going to play team defense and we have to put the ball in the back of the net.” On team embracing flying under the radar: “They do embrace it, when you get to this point in the season, we are thrilled to be there. However, we want to move on and continue playing. They are doing a great job preparing, watching film and working hard in practice, so I cannot ask much more of them.” On what sets this team apart from past years: “It is their team chemistry, they are such good friends. They always have each other’s backs, even when we went down 5-0 against Colorado. We knew that they still had it in them to come back because they had done it so many times this season. They are a special group and they are fun to be around and coach and I couldn’t ask for anything more. Every team is unique in their own special way and this team is unique in the sense of when they walk out onto the field, they know they can win. There is no doubt in their mind, they are confident and they have one another’s backs. They are there to support one another through the good and the bad, the ups and the downs – that is unique for this team.” On being able to focus on the road as underdogs: “Sometimes when you are the team with the target on your back, you are always in defense of something. The expectations are greater and the team has to defend those expectations. With our team with are just able to go out and play to play. Being the underdog, there are no expectations – you can go out, have fun and play your game. That is what they want to do.” Player’s Perception  Lindsey Ronbeck on what playing in a game this big means to the team: “It is really special being able to make it to the Elite 8. We’ve never seen James Madison, so it will be interesting to see how we come out against them – they are a really talented team. This whole week is going to be about focusing on Florida lacrosse and what we can do to pull out a win this weekend.” Lindsey Ronbeck on what it means to play “Florida lacrosse”: “It means pushing the fast break, but also making sure our head is up, looking for someone to pass to. It is about playing as one, playing as a team. Our biggest emphasis this year has been playing together and utilizing every player on the field in their own special way.” Caroline Benitez on being the underdog coming into the game: “We haven’t played JMU yet, so it has been a little different of a preparation for us. It’s better for us to be on the road against a team like JMU because it allows us to focus on ourselves. We really cannot afford to not come out from the first whistle – we have to play our best, especially when they are ranked higher than us. It is going to make us work harder, we are going to do the best we can to prepare for them.” Florida Quick Facts

• This is the first year since 2014 that the Gators earned a trip to the NCAA Quarterfinals
• UF is looking for its second Final Fourth berth in program history, with the last one coming in the 2012 season
• Florida is 7-7 overall in the NCAA Tournament, including a run to the Final Four in 2012
• Lindsey Ronbeck and Haley Hicklen were both named Tewaaraton Top-25 Nominees
• #PirrecaPower: Pirreca sisters Shayna and Sydney have combined to score 33% (112/335) of Florida’s goals in 2018
• Shayna Pirreca is on a 40-game streak of scoring at least one goal, the longest streak in UF history. Her 42 consecutive games with a point is third-best in program history
• The Gators are 6-1 on the road this season, with the only loss coming at Syracuse (3/7)
• Florida owns a record of 88-14 (.863) record in the confines of Donald R. Dizney Stadium

  Numbers of Note

• 19: The Gators’ school record for wins in a season. UF is two wins away from tying that record in 2018
• 8: Conference championships for Florida in nine seasons (2011, 2012, 2013 & 2014 in the ALC, 2015, 2016, 2017 & 2018 in the BIG EAST)
• 6: Florida now has six consecutive tournament championship in program history (2012 & 2014 in the ALC, 2015, 2016, 2017 & 2018 in the BIG EAST)
• 6: Number of conference Coaching Staff of the Year awards that Florida has received under the direction of Amanda O’Leary (2011, 2012 & 2014 in the ALC, 2016, 2017 & 2018 in the BIG EAST
• 5: NCAA Quarterfinals berths for the Gators since the program, started in 2010 (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 & 2018)
• 1: Final Four berth for the Orange and Blue in 2012

  Up Next The winner of Saturday’s game advances to the Final Four, where they face the winner of No. 2 North Carolina and Northwestern. The Final Four takes place on May 25 in Stony Brook, N.Y., with this season’s NCAA Championship game to follow on May 27. Follow the Gators #FLax Twitter Instagram Facebook