No. 9 Gators Look to Continue Win Streak Against Stags
Wednesday, March 23, 2011 | Lacrosse
The No. 9 Florida lacrosse team plays host to the Fairfield Stags on Wednesday evening. Opening draw is set for 6:30 p.m. under the lights of Dizney Stadium.
The Gators come in to Wednesday's game riding an eight-game winning streak, as their only loss came on February 12th to then-No. 3 North Carolina in overtime. Since then, Florida has outscored opponents 134-63, continuing their momentum towards the end of their nine-game homestand. Florida has two more games in the homestand, including their first ALC contest of 2011 against Ohio State, before hitting the road on April 2nd. The Gators' last road trip was on February 16th to nearby Jacksonville.
Sophomore attacker Ashley Bruns (Ellicott City, Md.) was named the National Player of the Week by WomensLax.com, as well as the WomensLacrosse.com National Offensive Player of the Week and the ALC Offensive Player of the Week for her performances against Colgate and No. 11 Syracuse. She ranks 12th in the country in points overall and 13th in goals scored overall.
Florida is led by Tewaaraton Watch List honoree Kitty Cullen (Rockville, Md.), who has 39 goals on the season after finding the back of the net 31 times in all of 2010. The sophomore midfielder leads the nation in goals overall and is second goals per game, while ranking sixth in points overall. Sophomore goalkeeper Mikey Meagher (Liverpool, N.Y.) ranks eighth in the country in goals-against average, only allowing 7.51 per game.
The Gators, coming off victories over then-No. 9 Georgetown and Temple, became the fastest-rising program to reach the top-10 since the IWLCA poll's inception in 1988. It took the Gators only 13 months (17 polls) to reach the top-10 and are the fastest in Gator history to do so. Their No. 9 ranking is the highest in program history. Florida ranks sixth in the NCAA in scoring margin, eighth in points and eighth in scoring offense.
While these teams have never met, Florida head coach Amanda O'Leary and Fairfield head coach Mike Waldvogel are quite familiar with one another. They were both at the helm of the Yale women's and men's programs, respectively, for nine years (1994-2002). O'Leary was with the Bulldogs for 14 seasons (1994-2007), while Waldvogel spent 22 seasons with the men's team (1980-2002).
The Stags are now 5-3 on the season after dropping a 15-6 non-conference decision to Hofstra on Saturday afternoon. Fairfield had four players named to the Preseason All-MAAC Team: Kristen Coleman, the league's Preseason Player of the Year, will be sidelined for the entire 2011 season because of injury. She was joined on the team by defender Renee L'Heureux, senior captain Brittany Bare and the 2010 MAAC Rookie of the Year, Chloe Mangan.
The Stags went 13-5 (6-0 MAAC) last season, as they finished first in the regular season MAAC race before losing in the MAAC Tournament Championship game.
Wednesday's matchup will be broadcast on www.GatorZone.com with Andrew Suarez and Mike Gillespie calling the action.
