Florida's high-powered offense vs. Northwestern's in-your-face defense
Monday, April 16, 2012 | Lacrosse, Women's Swimming & Diving, Scott Carter
What's it going to be? Will Florida's high-powered offense deliver the goods or will No. 1-ranked Northwestern's in-your-face defense take the Gators off their game.
If you're one of those people who like the contrasting-styles angle with your sports, well, the Florida-Northwestern lacrosse game on Saturday has your name on it.
“We have a big offensive firepower,'' Gators coach Amanda O'Leary said Monday. “Any one of them can score. Northwestern is going to come out and play a totally different defense than we've ever seen except for them last season. They come out in a high-pressure all over the field.
“It's going to be a challenge for our team.”
Oh, and there is a trophy up for grabs, too. The winner claims the America Lacrosse Conference regular-season title. Both teams are 4-0 in conference play with only one to play.
And if those ingredients aren't enough to whet your appetite for No.-5 ranked Florida's regular-season finale – top-ranked Northwestern has two non-conference games left after Saturday's game in Evanston, Ill. – they both enter with long winning streaks.
The Gators (14-2) have won 10 in a row while defending national champion Northwestern (14-0) has won 23 consecutive games dating back to last season. The Wildcats haven't lost since back-to-back losses to the Gators (in Gainesville) and at Johns Hopkins late last season.
Monday officially marked the one-year anniversary of Northwestern's 12-11 loss at Johns Hopkins, a streak the Gators hope to end.
If there is an offense out there that can neutralize Northwestern's pressure defense – O'Leary called the Wildcats the most athletic team the Gators will face – Florida's might be the one.
The Gators lead the country in scoring and have five players with 30 or more goals, led by Gabi Wiegand's 43. Ashley Bruns has 39 and Florida's leading scorer a year ago, Kitty Cullen, has 38. Florida is averaging 17.3 goals per game. Meanwhile, Northwestern is surrendering only 7.2 per game.
“It's not necessarily that our plays are set up where it's one person scoring,'' O'Leary said. “It does make our job as coaches a little bit easier that we have that ability.”
Still, nothing will come easy on Saturday for the Gators – or in the days leading up to the game.
O'Leary plans to hold some intense practices the next few days with a lot of film study mixed in. The Gators' defense will mimic Northwestern's in practice to get the players mentally prepared for what they will see.
“They are very good at the defense they run,” O'Leary said. “They have it perfected. It's not very easy to play against. We can't panic when we are in that double-team or we have to move the ball more quickly before that double-team can get to us.
“We did a nice job last year.”
