Maggi Hall, Elyse Finnelle and the Gators lacrosse coaching staff took home accolades of the year honors

via UF press release/website, by Corey Lichtman

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Florida lacrosse team was well represented on the end of the season AAC awards list, as the Gators took home three major honors, while being tagged with nine all-conference selections.

Maggi Hall was named AAC Attacker of the Year, Elyse Finnelle was tagged with AAC Goalkeeper of the Year, and the Florida Coaching Staff took home the AAC Coaching Staff of the Year Award. Danielle Pavinelli (unanimous selection), Emily Heller (unanimous selection), and Madison Waters, along with Hall and Finnelle were named First Team All-Conference. Liz Harrison, Paisley Eagan, Theresa Bragg, and Kaitlyn Davies all were awarded Second Team All-Conference, as this was announced by the conference Wednesday afternoon.

Hall takes home her first attacker of the year honor in her career. The senior has had a record setting season, totaling 40 goals and 45 assists on a .606 shooting percentage. The Bel Air, Md. native ranks first in the AAC in points (5.00) and assists per game (2.65), while ranking seventh in goals per game (2.35). Hall has recorded a point in 36 consecutive games, and is the all-time leader in assists (118 and counting) at Florida. She is one of 12 players at the program to have at least 200 points in her career, and has nine games this season with five points or more. She is the first attacker of the year since Pavinelli won the award in 2022.

Finnelle brings the goalkeeper of the year award back to Gainesville for the third consecutive season, and earns this accolade for the first time in her career. The redshirt-sophomore has had quite the season, saving 100 shots on a .549 save percentage in 16 appearances and seven starts. The Deale, Md. native has anchored a goalkeeping unit who ranks fifth nationally in save percentage (.523). Finnelle ranks first in the AAC in save percentage and goals against per game (8.43). Since coming into the game on March 30 against Vanderbilt, Finnelle has saved 48 shots, while stopping .632 percent of shots on goal, leading the Gators to five wins and no games of more than seven goals allowed. The goalkeeper has a 4-2 record this season, winning her last four starts.

The Florida lacrosse coaching staff has earned their fourth coaching staff of the year honor in the AAC since joining in 2019. Head coach Amanda O’Leary (15th season), along with Assistant Coaches Regy Thorpe (third season), Nicole Levy (second season), and Christina Esposito (first season) have led this Gators team to a 15-2 record and an AAC Regular Season Conference Title. Florida is tied for the nation’s longest winning streak at 15, and rank top-ten in Division I in assists per game (1st),  clearing percentage (1st), draw control percentage (4th), draw controls per game (5th),  free position percentage (2nd), points per game (1st), save percentage (5th), scoring defense (4th), scoring margin (1st), scoring offense (1st), shot percentage (1st), shots on goal per game (2nd) and win percentage (2nd).

Pavinelli, Heller and Waters were all named AAC First Team All-Conference. Pavinelli earns her third first team honor, and fourth total all-conference selection. The senior has 42 goals on the season, along with 28 assists, shooting .519 percent from the field. The Northport, N.Y. native ranks sixth in the AAC in goals (2.47), fourth in assists (1.65) and fourth in points per game (4.12). The attacker ranks fifth in both goals (192) and points (274) all-time in Florida history.

Heller claims her third AAC First Team All-Conference honor. The graduate student has been a two-way star for the Gators, scoring 32 goals with six assists, while having 26 draw controls, 19 ground balls and nine caused turnovers. The West Babylon, N.Y. native has scored in 16 of 17 games this season, while recording her 100th career goal on March 6 against UC Davis. Heller is one of three players in program history with 100 goals, 100 ground balls and 200 draw controls.

Waters earns her first AAC First Team All-Conference award after being a second team selection in 2023. The USC transfer has totaled 25 goals and seven assists this season, to go along with 10 ground balls, seven caused turnovers and two draw controls. She has totaled six hat-tricks on the season, and sits just four goals shy of 100 for her career.

Harrison, Eagan, Bragg, and Davies were selected as AAC Second Team All-Conference after impactful seasons for UF.

Harrison earns her first all-conference selection, after having a record setting draw controls season. The Marietta, Ga. Native leads the AAC in draw controls (198) and draw controls per game (11.65). The draw specialist has 12 double digits draw control games this season, and owns records for the most draw controls in a game (19), draw controls in a season, and draw controls in a career (399 and counting).

Eagan earns her third all-conference selection of her career. The Wilton, Conn. native has 20 goals and nine assists this season, along with 20 draw controls, 13 ground balls, and six caused turnovers. The midfielder has two AAC Midfielder of the Week accolades this season.

Bragg and Davies both earn their first all-conference selection, as the duo helped anchor a back line that ranked first in the AAC in scoring defense (8.06 goals allowed per game), and have held opponents to .349 shooting from the field. Bragg has totaled 16 ground balls, eight caused turnovers, along with three draw controls and an assist, starting all 17 games. Davies has put up one goal, 12 ground balls, 13 draw controls and five caused turnovers in 16 games.

The Gators nine all-conference selections were the most of any team in the conference. No. 9 Florida will be in action tomorrow, as they take on the fourth-seeded Vanderbilt Commodores at 5:30 p.m. ET in the AAC Conference Tournament Semifinals on ESPN+.

2024 Florida All-Conference Selections

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