Skip to main content

Gators #2 Seed in NCAA D1 Women’s Tourney, Host Penn State & Winthrop

Written by Lee Roggenburg on . Posted in .
via press release   2016 NCAA Tournament Bracket GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A day after winning the 2016 BIG EAST Tournament, the Gator lacrosse program picked up the No. 2 overall seed in the 26-team NCAA Tournament to earn a first-round bye and the right to host NCAA First & Second Rounds in Gainesville May 13 & 15. Florida will play host to the Penn State Nittany Lions and Winthrop Eagles this weekend in Gainesville. Penn State (11-6) and Winthrop (20-2), Big South Conference Champions, will play at 4 p.m. Friday at Donald R. Dizney Stadium, and the winner will earn a date with the BIG EAST Champion Gators Sunday at 1 p.m. at The Diz. TICKET PRICING | Buy Tickets Online | Gator Ticket Office: (352) 375-4683 OR 800-344-2867 Adults: $5 Students & Children: $3 Students with a Gator1 ID: FREE The Orange and Blue, out to the best start in program history at 18-1, are going dancing for a sixth straight season and picked up their second-highest seed in program history after being the top seed in 2012. Florida, the lone BIG EAST squad in the tournament, has advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals three seasons (2011, 2013, 2014) and played in the NCAA Semifinals in 2012. Florida is 5-1 all-time against Penn State, including a perfect 4-0 record at home. The Gators have faced Winthrop just once, a 2014 tilt in Gainesville that went in favor of the home team. The Orange and Blue enter the 2016 NCAA Tournament with a 6-5 record all-time in NCAA Tourney play. Florida swept both the BIG EAST regular-season and tournament titles, boast the BIG EAST Most Outstanding Player (Graziano), Midfielder of Year (Graziano), Co-Attacker of Year (Burgess), Defensive Player of Year (Fitzgerald) and Freshman of Year (Ronbeck). Florida had seven players named all-conference and has two Tewaaraton Award Top-25 Nominees in Nicole Graziano and Caroline Fitzgerald. THE RECORDS No. 2 Florida: 18-1 Penn State: 11-6 Winthrop: 20-2 NUMBERS OF NOTE | COMPLETE NCAA RELEASE
  • 19: the Gators’ school record for wins in a season. UF is one win away from hitting 19 wins in 2016
  • 6: Conference championships for Florida in seven seasons (2011, 2012, 2013 & 2014 in the ALC, 2015 & 2016 in the BIG EAST)
  • 3: NCAA Quarterfinals berths for Florida since the program started in 2010 (2011, 2013, 2014)
  • 4: Florida now has four conference tournament championships in program history (2012 & 2014 in the ALC, 2015 & 2016 in BIG EAST)
  • 1: Final Four berth for the Orange and Blue in 2012
   

Sponsored