No. 3 Gators Move to 4-0 with 16-6 Win Over Dartmouth

Saturday, February 27

Gainesville, FL

12:00 PM

Florida Gators

4-0

Dartmouth

2-1

Dartmouth

Florida

Senior Nicole Graziano scored three goals and added an assist and four draw controls in Saturday's win.

No. 3 Gators Move to 4-0 with 16-6 Win Over Dartmouth

Saturday, February 27, 2016 | Lacrosse

Box Score

Head Coach Amanda O'Leary earned her 100th win at the University of Florida.

By: Kelly Reynolds

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Ten different Gators scored Saturday -- including three goals each from Sammi Burgess, Nicole Graziano and Mollie Stevens -- as No. 3 Florida defeated Dartmouth, 16-6, to move to 4-0 on the season and deliver head coach Amanda O'Leary her 100th win at the University of Florida.

O'Leary, the fifth winningest active Division I women's lacrosse coach, is now 100-27 (.787) all-time at Florida, boasts a career record of 262-92 (.740) and has her Gators squad 4-0 for the second time in the program's young history.

Burgess scored three of Florida's first four goals of the game in the first 12 minutes to stretch the Gators lead to 4-1, and well-balanced attack kept the momentum in favor of the Orange and Blue offensively. Sam Darcangelo, Carli Marsh and Allie Pavinelli all cashed in their first scores of the season, while Caroline Fitzgerald also sent in her first goal of the year after a fast break to give Florida four consecutive games with a defensive score.

The Gators' high pressure, scrappy defense helped limit Dartmouth to just three goals in each period. Florida led 10-3 at the half after Lindsey Ronbeck connected with Stevens for an over-the-shoulder success at the buzzer. Senior defender Sydney DuPre made it four straight games with multiple caused turnovers, forcing two against the Big Green, while Lauren Lea chipped in a pair as well. Senior goalkeeper Mary-Sean Wilcox moved to 4-0 in the cage for UF and had at least one save for the 10th straight game with three against Dartmouth.

Graziano's season-best three goals were just the tip of the iceberg as the fifth-year Gator also came up with a team-high four draw controls and posted a team-best four points with an assist on Burgess' second score of the day.

With a comfortable 15-5 lead in the second period, UF took advantage of the opportunity to get its bench some quality experience with 10 players subbing in down the stretch to represent the Orange and Blue for the first time in 2016.

THE RECORDS
No. 3 Florida: 4-0
Dartmouth: 2-1

NUMBERS OF NOTE

100: wins for Florida head coach Amanda O'Leary at the helm of the Gator program. O'Leary entered the 2016 season as the fifth winningest active Division I coach with her .737 winning percentage in 20 years as a head coach. O'Leary is now (262-92, .740) overall and is the 17th winningest coach all-time in the history of NCAA women's lacrosse. With Saturday's win, O'Leary is 100-27 (.787) all-time at the University of Florida
62: wins for UF at home at The Diz. The Gators are 62-8 at home in Gainesville
29: players saw action in Saturday's affair against the Dartmouth Big Green, a good opportunity for Florida to get some of its younger players some time on the field

29: straight games with a goal for junior Mollie Stevens, who has had three or more goals in all four of the Gators' games in 2016
10: players scored a goal for the Gators Saturday, the most this season
5: wins for Florida all-time against Dartmouth. The Gators are 5-0 all-time against the Big Green, including 4-0 at home in Gainesville
4: game streak with a defensive score, as junior defender Caroline Fitzgerald took her third career goal to the house Saturday
2: straight games with a goal for both freshmen Sydney Pirreca and Lindsey Ronbeck

O'LEARY ANALYSIS
"I'm really proud of the team's effort today. We had a really big win last Saturday and to come off that win and compete to the best of our ability today was great. Similar to North Carolina, we came out stronger in the second; we made some adjustments at the half. We have another really big challenge ahead of us Tuesday at Syracuse and we'll look to clean up some things and keep improving."

UP NEXT
The Orange and Blue will embrace another tough challenge on the road with a clash at new No. 2 Syracuse in New York Tuesday in the Carrier Dome. Florida will hit the road Monday and is scheduled to match up with the Orange at noon March 1.

Of note, Gators assistant Becca Block is a Syracuse graduate, and was the IWLCA and BIG EAST Defender of the Year her senior season in 2013.

Florida will next be at home Friday, March 4, for a 6:30 p.m. game against Niagara.

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