Gators Welcome No. 1 Maryland to Gainesville Saturday

Saturday, February 17

Gainesville, FL

12 PM

Florida Gators

Maryland

... during the Gators' lacrosse game against the Colorado Buffaloes on Sunday, February 11, 2018 in Donald R. Dizney Stadium in Gainesville, FL / UAA Communications photo by Jim Burgess

Florida defeated No. 17 Colorado, 16-9, to open the 2018 season

Gators Welcome No. 1 Maryland to Gainesville Saturday

Friday, February 16, 2018 | Lacrosse

Saturday marks the eighth time in nine seasons that UF has played the defending national champion in the regular season.

By: Dustin Ciraco

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The No. 5/3 Florida lacrosse team (1-0) continues its challenging non-conference schedule on Saturday, with a clash against the defending national champions, No. 1 Maryland Terrapins (1-0).

The opening draw is set for 12 p.m. from Donald R. Dizney Stadium. A live stream of the game will be available via YouTube, with Adam Schick on the call.

No. 5/3 Florida vs. No. 1/1 Maryland Live Stream

Saturday's contest will feature the fourth meeting between the Gators and Terrapins, with Florida looking to claim its first victory in the series.

The top-ranked Terrapins are the second of seven IWLCA top-25 opponents for the Gators this season. UF topped No. 17 Colorado in its season opener, and is set to face No. 3 North Carolina, No. 5 Syracuse, No. 10 Navy, No. 19 Towson, and No. 25 Loyola before beginning BIG EAST play.

Maryland enters Saturday's game after defeating William & Mary, 18-7, to begin the 2018 season.

Head Coach Amanda O'Leary:
"Florida-Maryland has been a long-standing rivalry for us, and we are looking forward to stepping out on the field against the No. 1 team in the country on Saturday. Maryland is an outstanding team. They are well-coached, have fantastic offensive players, and solid defenders. This game will be a challenge for our team, but it's a challenge that I feel they can step up to. We need to compete, top to bottom. We have to play at the highest level – Play the best to be the best"

Exclusive Company
Since 2011, Florida and Maryland have the most wins of any Division I women's lacrosse team.
Institution               W-L        Win Percentage
Maryland               152-10    .938
FLORIDA             122-24    .836
Syracuse              119-40    .748
North Carolina      118-29    .803
Navy                     113-30    .790

Switching Sides
First year Florida assistant coach Nadine Hadnagy was the 2017 IWLCA National Defender of the Year and a two-time IWLCA All-American at Maryland from 2014-17. The former Terrapin started in 90 games during her career, compiling 115 ground balls, 74 caused turnovers, 19 draw controls, and seven points.

Scouting The Terrapins
Maryland enters Saturday's tilt on a 24-game win streak. The Terrapins have claimed three of the last four NCAA Championships, posting a 90-3 during that time. In addition, the Terps have not lost a true road contest since April 5, 2014 at North Carolina, a span of 80 games.

No. 5/3 Florida vs. No. 1/1 Maryland Broadcast Information
Time: 12 p.m.
Live Stream: YouTube
Live Stats: Sidearm Stats
Pregame Notes

Series Information

Saturday's game will be the fourth meeting between Florida and Maryland
Maryland leads: 3-0
Home: 0-1 | Away: 0-2
Last Time Out: March 29, 2017 at Maryland | L, 18-8

Quick Facts

Head Coach Amanda O'Leary is looking to become just the fifth coach in the history of Division I women's lacrosse to win 300 games in her career. O'Leary is currently 294-97 in 23 seasons as a head coach.
Shayna Pirreca (97) and Lindsey Ronbeck (92) are both on the verge of scoring their 100th career goal.
Florida owns a 78-12 (.867) record all-time at Donald R. Dizney Stadium.
#PirrecaPower: Pirreca sisters Shayna and Sydney have combined to score 19% (3/16) of UF's goals in 2018.
Saturday will mark the eighth time in the program's nine seasons the Gators have played the defending national champion in the regular season (2-5).

Fan Information
Admission is free to all regular season Florida lacrosse home games. FLax Tank Giveaway: The first 500 fans in attendance will receive a 'Defend the Diz' Florida lacrosse tank!

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