Florida finishes the 2022 campaign with a 17-5 record

via UF press release by Katie Callahan, photo by Gail Burton

BOX SCORE

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The seventh-seeded Florida lacrosse team couldn’t overcome the offensive attack of the No. 2 Maryland Terrapins, falling 18-5 at the Maryland Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex on Thursday afternoon.

Florida’s season ends with a 17-5 overall record and a perfect 5-0 AAC record. For the ninth time in 13 years, the Gators were able to hoist both the regular season conference championship and the conference tournament championship. UF secured its 11th-straight regular season crown during the 2022 campaign and won its ninth conference tournament trophy overall and eighth-straight.

The Gators also won five of the six major AAC awards, had nine athletes tabbed to the AAC All-Conference Teams and earned six IWLCA All-Region accolades.

Five players each registered one goal for Florida on the afternoon: Ashley Gonzalez, Josie Hahn, Emily Heller, Emma LoPinto and Danielle Pavinelli.

Pavinelli and Maggi Hall each dished out a team-high one assist in the game.

Florida won a total of 11 draw controls, led by three apiece from Liz Harrison and Heller. Hahn and Shelton Sawers each added two on the afternoon.

Emma Wightman and Maeson Tydings each recorded a caused turnover in the game, while Catherine Flaherty led the way with two groundballs.

Sarah Reznick recorded nine saves during her 60:00 between the pipes for Florida.

Records
7-seed Florida (17-5, 5-0 AAC)
2-seed Maryland (19-1, 6-0 BIG Ten)

How it Happened

• Maryland got on the board first, just 38 seconds into the game, but Emma LoPinto scored the equalizer just under a minute later on a 1v1 diving goal to knot the game at 1-1.
• After two quick scores in the first two minutes of the game, the two squads were scoreless through the middle seven minutes of the frame. The Terrapins broke through with 6:16 left in the quarter, scoring on a woman-up opportunity to take the 2-1 lead.
• Danielle Pavinelli tied the game at 2-2 after dodging her defender in front of the cage for her 73rd goal of the season.
• A back-and-forth first quarter, the Terps snuck one between the pipes to take the 3-2 advantage with 1:31 left in the frame.
• Maryland scored the first two goals of the second quarter, taking the 5-2 lead with 8:26 left in the half, but Emily Heller scored her first of the day to pull the Gators back to within two. The Terrapins scored the final goal of the half with 5:32 left, taking the 6-3 lead into the locker room.
• Coming out of the halftime break, Maryland struck first, taking the 8-3 advantage 91 seconds into the frame after back-to-back goals.
• Florida pulled back to within four after Maggi Hall found Ashley Gonzalez on a women-up opportunity just under four minutes into the frame.
• The next six goals of the third belonged to Maryland, with the Terps pulling ahead 14-4 with 2:31 left in the quarter to start the running clock.
• Maryland opened up the fourth quarter with a goal on a woman-up opportunity, taking the 15-4 lead with 12:27 left in the game.
• The Gators broke 7-0 Terrapins run after Josie Hahn found the back of the cage on a dish from Pavinelli just over two minutes later.
• Maryland scored the final three goals of the game, securing the 18-5 victory.

Notables

• With her one point, Emma LoPinto finishes her rookie campaign with 97 – a Florida program record and good for fourth in the NCAA record books for a freshman season
• Streaking: Sarah Reznick has tallied a save in 51-straight games, the second-longest streak in program history
• Streaking: Danielle Pavinelli has registered a point in 25-straight games and a goal in 22-straight games
• Streaking: Emma LoPinto has tallied a point in 19-straight games
• Streaking: Emily Heller had recorded a draw control in 22-straight games, the sixth-longest streak in program history
• Streaking: Liz Harrison has recorded a draw control in 18-straight games, tied for the eighth-longest streak in program history

Insight from O’Leary

• “Credit Maryland, they came out and executed their game plan well. I am just so proud of this team. They have grown so much since the season started and we are young, so we know what we need to work on to not be in this position again.”

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