GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The preseason No. 3 Florida lacrosse team will waste no time jumping into a challenging non-conference schedule, as No. 1 North Carolina (1-0) will head to Gainesville on Saturday to open the 2017 season. The opening draw is set for 12 p.m. from Donald D. Dizney Stadium.
The Gators and Tar Heels will square off for the ninth time in program history, but just the second time in Gainesville, with North Carolina holding a 6-2 advantage in the series. Last season, Florida traveled to Chapel Hill and knocked off the eventual national champion 16-15.
Saturday's contest marks the first of six top-20 matchups for the Gators this season, with No. 4 Southern California, No. 5 Syracuse and No. 6 Stony Brook all making a trip to Gainesville before Florida gets into the bulk of BIG EAST play.
Head Coach Amanda O'Leary:
"It doesn't get any better than this. To play North Carolina, the defending national champions, is really exciting for our program. It's a great opportunity for us to see where the team is at this point in the year. Thriving in an environment like we'll have on Saturday is what being a Gator is all about."
WATCH: Amanda O'Leary Preseason Press Conference
Last month, the Gators were unanimously selected to
three-peat as BIG EAST Champions.
Taylor Bresnahan,
Sammi Burgess,
Caroline Fitzgerald,
Shayna Pirreca and
Lindsey Ronbeck all garnered
Inside Lacrosse Preseason All-American honors. Bresnahan, Burgess, Fitzgerald, Pirreca, Ronbeck and
Mollie Stevens were identified as All-BIG EAST preseason candidates by vote of the league's head coaches.
No. 3 Florida vs. No. 1 North Carolina Broadcast Information
Time: 12 noon (ET)
Live Stream: SEC Network +
Live Stats: Sidearm Stats
Quick Facts:
- North Carolina enters Saturday's contest on an 18-game win streak dating back to last season (2/27/16). The Tar Heels have not lost a road game in almost two years (2/22/15).
- Head coach Amanda O'Leary enters 2017 with the fifth-most wins in the history of Division I women's lacrosse (276). Her .746 winning percentage is the eighth-best mark among all active coaches.
- Florida has won six conference titles in the program's seven seasons: 2011, 2012, 2013 & 2014 American Lacrosse Conference, and 2015 & 2016 BIG EAST Conference.
- O'Leary has a 3-4 record in season openers at UF, with North Carolina being the first opponent in six out of her eight seasons.
- UF ranks No. 3 in both the IWLCA Preseason Coaches' Poll and Inside Lacrosse Preseason Poll.
- The Gators are led by an eight-member senior class, including captains Taylor Bresnahan, Sammi Burgess, Caroline Fitzgerald and Mollie Stevens, who have combined for 230 starts in their careers.
- This will be the fourth time Florida has faced a No. 1-ranked team, with a 1-2 record in previous matchups.
Fan Information
Admission is FREE to all regular season Florida lacrosse games. The first 400 fans in attendance will receive a Florida Lacrosse performance t-shirt. Kids 12 and under are invited to the field to form a pre-game tunnel. As always, t-shirts will be thrown into the stands after every other goal.
Up Next: Florida will welcome the Scotland National Team to Gainesville for an exhibition game on Wednesday, Feb. 15 at 5 p.m. On Feb. 24, No. 4 Southern California comes to The Diz for a 6:30 p.m. tilt.
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