Gators Head to Nation's Capitol Wednesday to Face No. 15 Georgetown
Tuesday, March 6, 2012 | Lacrosse
The No. 5 University of Florida lacrosse team hits the road to take on No. 15 Georgetown in a non-conference matchup on Wednesday afternoon. The game will be held at Multi-Sport Field in Washington, D.C. Opening draw is set for 2 p.m.
The Gators (4-2) hosted No. 9 Syracuse on Saturday afternoon. Florida put together a valiant comeback, but the Orange came out on top, 12-11, in double overtime.
Syracuse opened the game with an early 4-0 lead. Shannon Gilroy gave UF its first goal of the game at 12:48, followed by a goal from Brittany Dashiell. 'Cuse put up a fifth, but Florida scored two more to come within one, down 5-4.
The Orange scored one just before the half and another shortly after to take a 7-4 lead, but at 13:20, a free-position goal by Nora Barry tied the score at seven.
Syracuse responded with a three-goal run, seemingly putting the game away, but the Gators bounced back to score three in the final three minutes, sending the game to overtime.
Both teams scored one goal in the first overtime period, forcing a sudden-death double overtime stanza. Just before the 67 minute mark, 'Cuse finally closed the game, winning the thriller, 12-11.
The Gators are 1-1 against the Hoyas over the past two seasons, with both games being played at Dizney Stadium. Then-No. 5 Georgetown came out with a close victory on Mar. 9, 2010, winning 13-11, in their first meeting. On Mar. 9, 2011, No. 14 Florida defeated No. 9 Georgetown, 17-10, to earn its first-ever victory over a top-10 ranked team. The Gators' 17 goals in the contest are the most UF has ever scored against a ranked opponent.
The Hoyas (2-0, 1-0 BIG EAST) opened the 2012 season with easy wins over Delaware and Villanova. GU defeated Delaware, 16-7, on Wednesday, then won 18-6 at Villanova on Saturday in the first BIG EAST contest of the season.
The Hoyas finished 9-8 overall in 2011, going 7-1 in BIG EAST play to earn the regular-season title. They earned the top seed for the conference tournament, but fell to fourth-seeded Notre Dame, 15-12, in the semifinals.
Through the first two games, Dina Jackson leads the Hoyas' offense, with seven goals and an assist. Sophia Thomas and Kristen Coleman each have five goals, and five Hoyas have two assists. Kelly Barnes leads the midfield with eight ground balls, and Kelsi Bozel is tops with five draw controls. Thomas and Barnes are also tied for the team lead with six caused turnovers, which ranks four in the nation.
Georgetown has played two goalkeepers so far. Barb Black has earned both wins, making 10 saves and allowing 11 goals in 105:05. Her 6.29 goals against average ranks sixth in the NCAA and her .476 save percentage places her in 23rd. Abby Bisbee has allowed two goals in 14:55 minutes in relief.
As a team, the Hoyas lead the nation in scoring margin (10.50) and caused turnovers (16.50), rank third in both scoring offense (17.0) and scoring defense (6.5), and are seventh in ground balls (20.50). Additionally, they are one of just 11 teams to remain undefeated through this point in the season.
