The UF lacrosse team seeks to learn from Saturday's loss to No. 1 North Carolina and to use it to its advantage. (Photo: Jim Burgess/For UAA Communications)
A Gators-Tar Heels Rematch in May Would Be Fun
Saturday, February 11, 2017 | Lacrosse, Scott Carter
Florida overcame early deficit but top-ranked North Carolina showed why it's the defending national champion.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In no way was the Florida lacrosse team's season opener against No. 1-ranked North Carolina on Saturday a David vs. Goliath matchup.
The Tar Heels did pull up to Dizney Stadium with a program-record 18-game win streak and as reigning national champions. They also didn't forget to bring junior midfielder Marie McCool, voted preseason player of the year, or senior goalkeeper Caylee Waters, arguably the best stopper in the country.
Moreover, it was the third-ranked Gators who dealt the Tar Heels one of their two losses a season ago.
"We had a lot of energy going into the game,'' Florida attacker Shayna Pirreca said.
The scoreboard flashed proof of that 44 seconds after the opening draw when Pirreca's sister, Sydney, gave the Gators a quick lead. More than two hours and plenty of sweat drops later, the Gators trudged toward the locker room as North Carolina huddled for some final words after its 13-10 victory.
North Carolina's win steak grew to 19. The Gators opened the season with a loss and fell to the Tar Heels for the seventh time in nine meetings all-time. An afternoon of highs and lows ended with a thud.
Still, Gators coach Amanda O'Leary refused to write the game off as a failure.
"We play a really strong out-of-conference schedule for a reason,'' O'Leary said. "It's to play against these top teams because it's only going to make us better. It's fun to play these games. It's a loss, and that hurts, but it's a lot better if we go out there and roll it out and we win by 20. I don't think that's going to help us."
The Gators didn't get the victory they coveted, but they did learn more about themselves. Perhaps that sounds too much like a moral victory. Call it what you want.
For a Florida team coming off a season that ended earlier than expected with a home loss to Penn State in the NCAA Tournament, opening against North Carolina is like showing up on the first day of class and taking a final.
"It's definitely a really good learning experience for us,'' senior midfielder Mollie Stevens said. "It was a big test for us in the beginning of the season, but who knows what will happen in May."
May is when it matters most.
February is more like walking into a chemistry lab and figuring out the correct elements.
If Saturday is any indications, the 2017 Gators showed they are a resilient bunch. The Tar Heels didn't stay down long, scoring three consecutive goals after Sydney Pirreca's early score. The biggest nemesis for the Gators on Saturday was Sammy Jo Tracy, who dominated on draw controls to help UNC to a 17-8 advantage for the game.
Tracy scored the Tar Heels' first and final goals -- and the most important one: a shot that zoomed past Gators goalkeeper Haley Hicklen with 3:49 left to put UNC up 10-9. The Gators were a player down after Sammi Burgess received a yellow card.
"I definitely think the draw control is a huge thing for us,'' Pirreca said. "I give a lot of credit to Sammy Jo. She did an amazing job. I think that was a game-changer for us. If you don't have the ball you can't score."
What made Tracy's go-ahead goal most troubling for Florida was that it swung momentum back to the Tar Heels after the Gators had taken control. Florida turned an 8-5 deficit into a 9-all tie on an powerful drive and shot by Shayna Pirreca.
"We started winning the draws and putting in that extra effort and things started to go our way,'' Stevens said. "But the momentum can change like that. Then it went back in their direction."
The Gators had a pair of opportunities to take their first lead since 1-0 but came up empty each time, first on a free-position shot by Stevens and then a ground ball sprayed from the stick of Carli Marsh.
The Tar Heels seized on the breaks and Florida never recovered as UNC scored four of the game's final five goals.
"When you have the ball you need to make the most of it," O'Leary said. "I thought when it was 9-9 and we had the free position, again, it could have turned the tables. It didn't. I was proud we got to 9-9 but prior to that, we've got to be better earlier. It should have never come to that point."
O'Leary said the difference was North Carolina's ability to win those 50-50 balls.
"They need to start falling our way,'' she said.
The inability to win draws consistently placed added pressure on Hicklen, who finished with 12 saves. To defeat a team as talented as the Tar Heels you have to make your own breaks sometimes and Florida didn't do that enough.
As she began to look ahead, O'Leary plans to emphasize where the Gators were exploited. Meanwhile, the positive was the way they rallied trailing nearly the entire game.
One game doesn't make a season, win or lose.
"We did well but we didn't play to our full potential and we all know that," Stevens said.
Based on Saturday, if the Gators can reach their full potential, they could see the Tar Heels again in May when it matters most.
The Tar Heels did pull up to Dizney Stadium with a program-record 18-game win streak and as reigning national champions. They also didn't forget to bring junior midfielder Marie McCool, voted preseason player of the year, or senior goalkeeper Caylee Waters, arguably the best stopper in the country.
Moreover, it was the third-ranked Gators who dealt the Tar Heels one of their two losses a season ago.
"We had a lot of energy going into the game,'' Florida attacker Shayna Pirreca said.
The scoreboard flashed proof of that 44 seconds after the opening draw when Pirreca's sister, Sydney, gave the Gators a quick lead. More than two hours and plenty of sweat drops later, the Gators trudged toward the locker room as North Carolina huddled for some final words after its 13-10 victory.
North Carolina's win steak grew to 19. The Gators opened the season with a loss and fell to the Tar Heels for the seventh time in nine meetings all-time. An afternoon of highs and lows ended with a thud.
Still, Gators coach Amanda O'Leary refused to write the game off as a failure.
"We play a really strong out-of-conference schedule for a reason,'' O'Leary said. "It's to play against these top teams because it's only going to make us better. It's fun to play these games. It's a loss, and that hurts, but it's a lot better if we go out there and roll it out and we win by 20. I don't think that's going to help us."
The Gators didn't get the victory they coveted, but they did learn more about themselves. Perhaps that sounds too much like a moral victory. Call it what you want.
For a Florida team coming off a season that ended earlier than expected with a home loss to Penn State in the NCAA Tournament, opening against North Carolina is like showing up on the first day of class and taking a final.
"It's definitely a really good learning experience for us,'' senior midfielder Mollie Stevens said. "It was a big test for us in the beginning of the season, but who knows what will happen in May."
May is when it matters most.
February is more like walking into a chemistry lab and figuring out the correct elements.
If Saturday is any indications, the 2017 Gators showed they are a resilient bunch. The Tar Heels didn't stay down long, scoring three consecutive goals after Sydney Pirreca's early score. The biggest nemesis for the Gators on Saturday was Sammy Jo Tracy, who dominated on draw controls to help UNC to a 17-8 advantage for the game.
Tracy scored the Tar Heels' first and final goals -- and the most important one: a shot that zoomed past Gators goalkeeper Haley Hicklen with 3:49 left to put UNC up 10-9. The Gators were a player down after Sammi Burgess received a yellow card.
"I definitely think the draw control is a huge thing for us,'' Pirreca said. "I give a lot of credit to Sammy Jo. She did an amazing job. I think that was a game-changer for us. If you don't have the ball you can't score."
What made Tracy's go-ahead goal most troubling for Florida was that it swung momentum back to the Tar Heels after the Gators had taken control. Florida turned an 8-5 deficit into a 9-all tie on an powerful drive and shot by Shayna Pirreca.
"We started winning the draws and putting in that extra effort and things started to go our way,'' Stevens said. "But the momentum can change like that. Then it went back in their direction."
The Gators had a pair of opportunities to take their first lead since 1-0 but came up empty each time, first on a free-position shot by Stevens and then a ground ball sprayed from the stick of Carli Marsh.
The Tar Heels seized on the breaks and Florida never recovered as UNC scored four of the game's final five goals.
"When you have the ball you need to make the most of it," O'Leary said. "I thought when it was 9-9 and we had the free position, again, it could have turned the tables. It didn't. I was proud we got to 9-9 but prior to that, we've got to be better earlier. It should have never come to that point."
O'Leary said the difference was North Carolina's ability to win those 50-50 balls.
"They need to start falling our way,'' she said.
The inability to win draws consistently placed added pressure on Hicklen, who finished with 12 saves. To defeat a team as talented as the Tar Heels you have to make your own breaks sometimes and Florida didn't do that enough.
As she began to look ahead, O'Leary plans to emphasize where the Gators were exploited. Meanwhile, the positive was the way they rallied trailing nearly the entire game.
One game doesn't make a season, win or lose.
"We did well but we didn't play to our full potential and we all know that," Stevens said.
Based on Saturday, if the Gators can reach their full potential, they could see the Tar Heels again in May when it matters most.
Players Mentioned
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