UF Women’s Lacrosse Press Releases
via UF press releases/website
Florida Comes in at No. 10 on IWLCA Coaches Preseason Poll
This is the Gators’ fourth-straight season in the preseason top 10
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Florida Lacrosse team will begin the season ranked No. 10 in the IWLCA Coaches Preseason Poll announced Monday morning. This is the teams fourth straight season being ranked inside the top 10 from the IWLCA publication.
The Gators outdid their previous ranking by two spots, as they were ranked 12th in the USA Lacrosse Magazine Preseason Poll earlier this month. Eight starters return from last season’s team (Theresa Bragg, Paisley Eagan, Catherine Flaherty, Maggi Hall, Liz Harrison, Emily Heller, Danielle Pavinelli and Madison Waters) who went 17-4 winning the AAC conference championship, good for their ninth straight conference crown. UF made its 13th consecutive NCAA Tournament in 2023, advancing to the second round.
Florida and James Madison (6th) were the only two teams to represent the AAC in these rankings. UF will host JMU on April 13.
The Gators will face some tough competition early, opening the regular season against three top 10 opponents all on the road. They will begin at No. 8 Loyola on Feb. 10, followed by trips to take on No. 3 North Carolina (Feb. 17) and No. 9 Maryland (Feb.24).
Below is the complete top 25 IWLCA Poll.
| Rank | School |
| 1 | Northwestern |
| 2 | Boston College |
| 3 | North Carolina * (2/17) |
| 4 | Denver |
| 5 | Syracuse |
| 6 | James Madison * (4/13) |
| 7 | Notre Dame |
| 8 | Loyola * (2/10) |
| 9 | Maryland * (2/24) |
| 10 | Florida |
| 11 | Stony Brook |
| 12 | Michigan |
| 13 | Penn |
| 14 | Johns Hopkins |
| 15 | Army |
| 16 | Virginia |
| 17 | USC |
| 18 | Penn State |
| 19 | Richmond |
| 20 | UMass |
| 21 | UAlbany |
| 22 | UConn |
| 23 | Clemson |
| 24 | Duke |
| 25 | Navy |
*- 2024 opponent
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Four Captains Named for 2024 Season
Catherine Flaherty, Liz Harrison, Emily Heller and Danielle Pavinelli have been chosen to lead the 2024 Gators
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Catherine Flaherty, Liz Harrison, Emily Heller, and Danielle Pavinelli have been named captains for the Florida Lacrosse team ahead of the 2024 season. Flaherty and Pavinelli will be captains for the second consecutive year, while Harrison and Heller earn this honor for the first time.
“Our captains have a true passion for the game and the success of their teammates,” said head coach Amanda O’Leary. “They each embody the qualities necessary to lead this team to greatness.
“They were voted team captains by their teammates and each bring different characteristics that balance, inspire and empower the vision of our 2024 season. We are beyond proud to have four exceptional leaders and are confident they will steer us to success this season.”
Flaherty joined the Gators in 2022 after spending the first two years of her career at the University of Maryland. The Manorville, N.Y. native was a crucial piece of a Florida defense that ranked second in the American Athletic Conference in goals allowed and top 20 nationally last season (9.33 Avg/G). She was a 2023 All-AAC Second Team selection contributing career-highs in caused turnovers (15) and ground balls (22).
Harrison is coming off a season where she registered a career high 103 draw controls. This number ranks fifth all-time in program history for draw controls in a season while she became just the fifth player to eclipse the 100 mark in a season. Her career high 16 draw controls last season tied a program record set by Shannon Kavanagh in 2021. The senior currently sits fourth all time in school history with 210 career draw controls.
Heller was named USA Lacrosse Magazine Preseason All-American Honorable Mention just a week ago. She led the team last season with 40 ground balls to go along with 39 goals, and 46 draw controls. The midfielder received IWLCA Second Team All-American, ILWomen Third Team All-American and AAC Midfielder of the year in 2023. The fifth-year senior currently sits sixth all time in draw controls with 177. With 89 current goals, and 100 career groundballs, she looks to become the third player in program history with 200 draw controls, 100 goals and 100 ground balls in a career.
Like Heller, Pavinelli was named USA Lacrosse Magazine Preseason All-American last week as well. She was an All-AAC First Team selection just a year ago, recording 47 goals, 21 assists, 18 ground balls and 15 caused turnovers. She currently ranks 10th all time in points with 204. The senior had streaks well into the 2023 season of 42-straight games with a point (tied for fourth-longest) and 40 straight games with a goal (tied for second-longest).
Led by these four captains, Florida opens up the season at sixth ranked Loyola on February 10 at 12 p.m.
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Two Gators Secure Preseason All-America Honors
Emily Heller and Danielle Pavinelli earn USA Lacrosse Magazine Honorable Mention honorees.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – USA Lacrosse Magazine released its Division l Preseason All-Americans Wednesday afternoon with two Gators finding themselves on the list.
Long Island natives Emily Heller and Danielle Pavinelli each secured Honorable Mention accolades following their play in the 2023 season.
Heller is coming off a 2023 campaign where she was named IWLCA Second Team All-American, ILWomen Third Team All-American and AAC Midfielder of the year. She set a new career high in points (43), goals (39), shot percentage (48.1%) and ground balls (40). The fifth-year senior also contributed four assists on the year.
Pavinelli finds herself on this list for the second-straight year. The 2023 All-AAC First Team selection had 68 points last season, finding the back of the net 47 times and assisting on 21 goals. The senior is 10th all-time in Florida Lacrosse history with 204 points and just the 11th player in school history with 200 or more points.
This duo along with the rest of the Gators begin the 2024 campaign against the ninth-ranked Loyola Greyhounds on Feb. 10 at 12 p.m. in Baltimore, Md. at Ridley Athletic Complex.
Below are the accolades for Florida’s honorees:
- 2023 IWLCA Second Team All-American
- 2023 ILWomen Third Team All-American
- 2023 IWLCA All-Region First Team
- 2023 AAC Midfielder of the Year
- 2023 All-AAC First Team
- 2022 ILWomen Honorable Mention Media All-America
- 2022 IWLCA All-Region First Team
- 2022 All-AAC First Team
- Currently ranks sixth in program history with 177 draw controls, 13th in ground balls with 100, 18th in caused turnovers with 43, 19th in goals with 89 and 21st in points with 106
- 2023 All-AAC First Team
- 2023 All-AAC Tournament Team
- 2022 IWLCA Second Team All-American
- 2022 ILWomen Third Team Media All-American
- 2022 IWLCA All-Region First Team
- 2022 All-AAC First Team
- 2022 AAC Tournament Most Outstanding Player
- 2021 AAC Freshman of the Year
- 2021 All-AAC Second Team
- Recorded streaks of 42-straight games with a point (tied for fourth-longest) and 40-straight games with a goal (tied for second-longest)
- Currently ranks 10th in program history with 204 points and 150 goals, sits 14th in assists with 54 and 22nd in caused turnovers with 37
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Gators No. 12 in USA Lacrosse Preseason Poll
Florida set to start the season Feb. 10 against No. 9 Loyola
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Florida lacrosse team starts at No. 12 in the 2024 USA Lacrosse Preseason poll released Wednesday afternoon.
Florida faces five opponents among the preseason poll – including four in the top 10.
The season starts with three consecutive top-10 games – all on the road. Florida’s seasons starts Feb. 10 at preseason No. 9 Loyola. Then the Gators travel to face No. 3 North Carolina (Feb. 17) and No. 6 Maryland (Feb. 24).
Florida plays host to preseason No. 19 Princeton on March 13. A key American Athletic Conference (AAC) game versus No. 8 James Madison is at the Donald R. Dizney Stadium on April 13.
UF is coming off a strong 2024 season, posting a 17-4 overall record and winning the AAC tournament title – the program’s ninth consecutive tourney crown. Florida made its 13th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance in 2023, advancing to the second round.
| 2024 USA Lacrosse Preseason Poll | ||
| Rank | School | vs Florida |
| 1 | Northwestern | |
| 2 | Boston College | |
| 3 | North Carolina | Away – Feb. 17 |
| 4 | Denver | |
| 5 | Syracuse | |
| 6 | Maryland | Away – Feb. 24 |
| 7 | Notre Dame | |
| 8 | James Madison | Home – April 13 |
| 9 | Loyola | Away – Feb. 10 |
| 10 | Stony Brook | |
| 11 | Johns Hopkins | |
| 12 | Florida | |
| 13 | Army | |
| 14 | Penn State | |
| 15 | Penn | |
| 16 | Southern California | |
| 17 | Michigan | |
| 18 | UMass | |
| 19 | Princeton | Home – March 13 |
| 20 | Virginia | |
| Also considered (alphabetical order): Clemson, Duke, Navy, UConn | ||
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Gators Unveil 2024 Lacrosse Schedule
Florida will play host to nine games in the program’s 15th season.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – It’s just 57 days until Florida lacrosse begins its 15th season.
The Gators 2024 schedule includes one exhibition and 17 regular-season games. Home action at the Donald R. Dizney Stadium starts when Scotland visits for a Valentine’s Day exhibition. Florida boasts a 126-23 (.846) record at The Diz in the program’s first 14 seasons.
UF is coming off a strong 2023 season, posting a 17-4 overall record and winning the American Athletic Conference tournament title – the program’s ninth consecutive tourney crown. Florida made its 13th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance in 2023, advancing to the second round.
Six 2023 NCAA Tournament teams are among Florida’s upcoming schedule:
| Date | Opponent | 2023 NCAA Final Round |
| Feb 10 | at Loyola | Quarterfinal |
| Feb 17 | at North Carolina | Quarterfinal |
| Feb 24 | at Maryland | Second Rnd |
| Feb 28 | vs Jacksonville | First Rnd |
| March 16 | vs Mercer | First Rnd |
| April 13 | vs James Madison | Quarterfinal |
Gator fans get their first opportunity to see the 2024 Gators at The Diz on Feb. 14 for an exhibition game versus Scotland. The home schedule starts later that month when Jacksonville visits on Feb. 28.
The Gators start their sixth season in the American Athletic Conference on March 23 with a home game versus Old Dominion.
The AAC Tournament will be played in Nashville, Tenn. The semifinals are scheduled for Thursday, May 2, followed by the championship on Saturday, May 4.
Admission is free to all Gator lacrosse home regular-season.
| 2024 Gators Lacrosse Schedule | ||
| Date | Opponent | Time (ET) |
| Feb 10 | @ Loyola | |
| Feb 14 | Scotland – EXH | 5 p.m. |
| Feb 17 | @ North Carolina | 11 a.m. |
| Feb 24 | @ Maryland | |
| Feb 28 | Jacksonville | |
| March 3 | @ Arizona State | |
| March 6 | vs UC Davis (at SD State) | 4 p.m. |
| March 8 | @ San Diego State University | 6 p.m. |
| March 13 | Princeton | 1 p.m. |
| March 16 | Mercer | Noon |
| March 19 | Furman | Noon |
| March 23 | Old Dominion^ | Noon |
| March 27 | Liberty | 3 p.m. |
| March 30 | @ Vanderbilt^ | |
| April 6 | @ East Carolina^ | |
| April 13 | James Madison^ | Noon |
| April 20 | @ Cincinnati^ | |
| April 27 | Temple^ | Noon |
| ^ – American Athletic Conference | ||
| Bold denotes home games | ||
| All Gators home games played at Donald R. Dizney Stadium | ||
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Florida Well Represented on ILWomen Class of 2023 Power 100
Florida is No. 2 among the nation’s programs with seven Gators among ILWomen Power 100 Class of 2023 Rankings.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida is well represented on ILWomen Power 100 Class of 2023 Rankings, released by Inside Lacrosse this afternoon.
The seven Gators on the list is the No. 2 program total among the 34 schools represented.
The top 50 freshmen on the list are ranked, followed by 50 players on the Watch List. Florida’s six among the first 50 is the nation’s leader.
| Florida Freshmen on ILWomen Power 100 Class of 2023 Rankings | |||
| Rank | Name | Pos | Hometown |
| 9 | Gabbi Koury | M | Birchrunville, Pa. |
| 22 | Ashley Dyer | D | Elkridge, Md. |
| 27 | Sam Hughes | D | Castle Rock, Colo. |
| 35 | Cate Isaacson | M | Worthington, Ohio |
| 41 | Delaney Radin | A | Long Beach, N.Y. |
| 46 | Keira Rooney | M | Bayport, N.Y. |
| WL | Frannie Hahn | A | Catonsville, Md. |
Gators in 2023
Florida advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the 12th consecutive season, reaching the second round.
The Gators raised a conference tournament trophy for the 10th straight year, defeating then No. 6 James Madison to claim the American Athletic Conference tourney title.
Florida returns six who earned 2023 All-AAC honors, including 2023 AAC Midfielder of the Year Emily Heller. She also earned 2023 All-America honors by IWLCA (second team) and ILWomen (third).
UF’s Returning All-AAC Players
Maggi Hall, First Team
Emily Heller, First Team
Danielle Pavinelli, First Team
Paisley Eagan, Second Team
Catherine Flaherty, Second Team
Madison Waters, Second Team
