Florida Gators

WASHINGTON -- No. 2 Florida used a total team effort Saturday at Cooper Field to defeat Georgetown, 14-7, and improve to 12-1 on the season, 3-0 in BIG EAST play. Every available Gator -- 29 players -- saw action against the Hoyas to contribute to Florida's win on a chilly day in DC.
 
Senior Nicole Graziano and sophomore Shayna Pirreca led the scoring for Florida with four goals apiece – a career-tying tally for Pirreca. Six Gators found the back of the net offensively. On the defensive end, UF caused 10 of Georgetown's 14 turnovers, including a career-tying two from junior Sammi Burgess, who netted three goals for a hat trick on the afternoon.
 
Sixteen Gators played in front of a 'home' crowd, sophomore goalkeeper Olivia Cole hailing from Alexandria, Va., and 15 others from nearby Maryland. All three keepers, including Maryland products Haley Hicklen and Mary-Sean Wilcox saw time in the cage, with the veteran Wilcox (12-1) earning her 12th win of the season. Hicklen denied a career-tying six shots in just over 26 minutes of action after starting the second half.
 
The Gators were gritty, edging out the Hoyas in draw controls, 12-11, and ground balls, 17-16. Graziano and junior Caroline Fitzgerald both scooped up three draw controls to aid UF's efforts and freshman Lindsey Ronbeck added a career-tying two.
 
Florida got out to a 2-0 lead courtesy of Pirreca and Burgess goals before the Hoyas netted their first at the 22:04 mark. The Gators held steady for a four-goal run – two each from Pirreca and Graziano – before Taylor Gebhardt scored for the 8-2 halftime margin.
 
The Orange and Blue made their record 11-0 when leading at the half, adding six down the stretch. Five different Gators scored in the second, as Burgess finished UF's scoring with back-to-back scores, the last coming with 6:46 in the game.
 
Georgetown scored the final three goals of the contest in DC, and the Gators cleared the bench for quality road experience in a tough environment.
 
THE RECORDS
No. 2 Florida: 12-1, 3-0 BIG EAST
Georgetown: 3-8, 1-1 BIG EAST
 
NUMBERS OF NOTE

O'LEARY ANALYSIS
"This was a total team effort today, I thought every player that got on the field played really hard. We really competed out there today and saw great things on both ends of the field. We created turnovers on the defensive end and capitalized on our opportunities on the offensive end."
 
UP NEXT
Next up, Florida returns home to the friendly confines of the Donald R. Dizney stadium for a mid-week match up with Marquette. Opening draw between the Gators and Golden Eagles is 2 p.m. Florida will quickly return to the road for a Saturday tilt at Villanova in Philly April 16.
 
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