A midseason knee injury put a scare into Lindsey Ronbeck, but once she returned, the Gators picked right back up where they left off. (Photo: Jim Burgess/UAA Communications)
Ronbeck Pivotal to Gators' Postseason Push
Thursday, May 3, 2018 | Lacrosse
Gators lacrosse standout Lindsey Ronbeck feared the worst when she suffered a knee injury during the regular season. She soon returned and the Gators have followed her lead into the BIG EAST Tournament.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The No. 6 Gators lacrosse team rolls into this week's Big East Tournament at Dizney Stadium with an eight-game winning streak. Of the eight wins, six have come by double-digit margins. The fewest amount of goals Florida has scored in a game during the streak is 15.
Not coincidentally, the Gators' torrid run down the stretch began when junior attacker Lindsey Ronbeck returned from injury.
Florida (14-3) started the season with a lot of promise, including a 17-10 road upset of perennial contender North Carolina. The Gators' only two losses in their first six games came to then-No. 1 Maryland and No. 8 Syracuse by a combined four points. The Gators appeared to be a team that could contend for the program's first national championship.
Then came March 13 and a game against Navy at Dizney Stadium that threatened to ruin it all.
With her team down big to the Midshipmen in the first half, Ronbeck suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament (MCL) in her knee. Ronbeck initially feared the worst.
"I was pretty concerned considering we had two other [anterior cruciate ligament] tears in the beginning of the year on our team," she said. "That was the first thing going through my head. I was really nervous about that, having a season-ending injury. Luckily, at halftime we saw our team doctor, and he reassured me that it wasn't an ACL tear."
However, the injury was still serious enough to sideline Ronbeck for the next three games.
While her team would come from eight goals behind to pull off the largest comeback in program history against Navy, the Gators struggled without Ronbeck the next three games. In the first game after her injury, Florida squeaked by Vanderbilt, 11-10. The Commodores finished the season with a losing record. In the second game, the Gators lost to Towson at home.
UF coach Amanda O'Leary says Ronbeck plays a vital role in the Gators' offense that cannot easily be replaced.
"She's a fantastic distributor of the ball," O'Leary said. "She's a great 1-vs.-1 attacker. She rides well. There's very few parts of Lindsey's game that aren't top notch.
"She plays that low left [attacker position]. She's a great feeder. A lot of our plays are off of that side. Without her, we [were] missing that feeder part of the game. She also is a goal scorer. Without her, we're missing a couple goals here and there."
The statistical drop-off without Ronbeck on the field is obvious. Counting the Navy game, in the seven games prior to Ronbeck's MCL sprain, the Gators averaged 16.3 goals per game. In the three games without her in the lineup, the Gators averaged just 12.7 goals per game.
However, as a team captain, Ronbeck's injury also affected the Gators in unquantifiable ways.
"The things that she needs to work on, she's out here every day early working on," O'Leary said. "Lindsey's just one of the players that's going to go out and give you everything she has every time she's out there. We ask a lot of Lindsey. She's one of those players that not only helps us on the field but off the field as well."
Added sophomore defenseman Cara Trombetta: "She leads by example. She does the right thing always. She works hard always. She has a really great work ethic, and she's not afraid to be vocal. She knows the game. She kind of points people in the right direction and controls the offense a bit."
Ronbeck's rehabilitation included daily bike exercises to prevent the muscles around her knee from weakening while she recovered from the sprained MCL. However, she says the mental aspect of rehab was far tougher than the physical components.
"It was kind of mentally challenging," Ronbeck said. "It was the first time I've ever missed a game in my life."
Ronbeck was cleared to return to game action on March 31 against Connecticut. She made an immediate impact, scoring five first-half goals. She finished with a career-high 10 points (six goals, four assists) against the Huskies. In doing so, Ronbeck became only the second Gator to ever post a double-digit scoring game. Florida won the game 21-8, representing the most goals the Gators had scored in game all season at the time.
UF's offense wouldn't slow down, averaging 19 goals per game over its final seven games, all against conference opponents.
Ronbeck says the injury increased her appreciation for lacrosse and has allowed her to play with a clearer mind.
"Coming back from my injury, I had a new perspective on the game of lacrosse," she said. "I just wanted to take every moment out there. I never wanted to take a moment for granted. I wanted to capitalize on each moment that I have with the ball on the offensive end. I was just able to see the field a lot better for some reason. I have this clarity. When my teammates make beautiful cuts, I'm able to hit them. It really made my mind clear coming into the second half of the season."
The statistics speak for themselves. Ronbeck is second on the Gators in both goals (46) and points (60), and she did so in three less games than most of her teammates. She ranks 29th in the country in goals per game with 3.29.
With Ronbeck back and leading the way, the Gators have the opportunity to exit the Big East Conference – the program will transition to the American Athletic Conference following this season – having won all four regular season and all four tournament championships since joining the league in 2015.
Beyond that, Florida figures to be a high seed in the NCAA Tournament as it seeks to advance past the tournament's opening weekend for the first time since 2014.
Sometimes in sports, teams get boosts from unexpected sources. Who could have ever imagined that what was once feared to be a season-ending injury could be the spark the Gators needed?
Not coincidentally, the Gators' torrid run down the stretch began when junior attacker Lindsey Ronbeck returned from injury.
Florida (14-3) started the season with a lot of promise, including a 17-10 road upset of perennial contender North Carolina. The Gators' only two losses in their first six games came to then-No. 1 Maryland and No. 8 Syracuse by a combined four points. The Gators appeared to be a team that could contend for the program's first national championship.
Then came March 13 and a game against Navy at Dizney Stadium that threatened to ruin it all.
With her team down big to the Midshipmen in the first half, Ronbeck suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament (MCL) in her knee. Ronbeck initially feared the worst.
"I was pretty concerned considering we had two other [anterior cruciate ligament] tears in the beginning of the year on our team," she said. "That was the first thing going through my head. I was really nervous about that, having a season-ending injury. Luckily, at halftime we saw our team doctor, and he reassured me that it wasn't an ACL tear."
However, the injury was still serious enough to sideline Ronbeck for the next three games.
While her team would come from eight goals behind to pull off the largest comeback in program history against Navy, the Gators struggled without Ronbeck the next three games. In the first game after her injury, Florida squeaked by Vanderbilt, 11-10. The Commodores finished the season with a losing record. In the second game, the Gators lost to Towson at home.
UF coach Amanda O'Leary says Ronbeck plays a vital role in the Gators' offense that cannot easily be replaced.
"She's a fantastic distributor of the ball," O'Leary said. "She's a great 1-vs.-1 attacker. She rides well. There's very few parts of Lindsey's game that aren't top notch.
"She plays that low left [attacker position]. She's a great feeder. A lot of our plays are off of that side. Without her, we [were] missing that feeder part of the game. She also is a goal scorer. Without her, we're missing a couple goals here and there."
The statistical drop-off without Ronbeck on the field is obvious. Counting the Navy game, in the seven games prior to Ronbeck's MCL sprain, the Gators averaged 16.3 goals per game. In the three games without her in the lineup, the Gators averaged just 12.7 goals per game.
However, as a team captain, Ronbeck's injury also affected the Gators in unquantifiable ways.
"The things that she needs to work on, she's out here every day early working on," O'Leary said. "Lindsey's just one of the players that's going to go out and give you everything she has every time she's out there. We ask a lot of Lindsey. She's one of those players that not only helps us on the field but off the field as well."
Added sophomore defenseman Cara Trombetta: "She leads by example. She does the right thing always. She works hard always. She has a really great work ethic, and she's not afraid to be vocal. She knows the game. She kind of points people in the right direction and controls the offense a bit."
?? Drumroll please ??
— Gators Lacrosse (@GatorsLAX) May 1, 2018
The correct answer is @lindseyronbeck! She's racked up 15 points in the four tournament games she's played in! #FLax #GoGators pic.twitter.com/b4wQQ1C3wc
Ronbeck's rehabilitation included daily bike exercises to prevent the muscles around her knee from weakening while she recovered from the sprained MCL. However, she says the mental aspect of rehab was far tougher than the physical components.
"It was kind of mentally challenging," Ronbeck said. "It was the first time I've ever missed a game in my life."
Ronbeck was cleared to return to game action on March 31 against Connecticut. She made an immediate impact, scoring five first-half goals. She finished with a career-high 10 points (six goals, four assists) against the Huskies. In doing so, Ronbeck became only the second Gator to ever post a double-digit scoring game. Florida won the game 21-8, representing the most goals the Gators had scored in game all season at the time.
UF's offense wouldn't slow down, averaging 19 goals per game over its final seven games, all against conference opponents.
Ronbeck says the injury increased her appreciation for lacrosse and has allowed her to play with a clearer mind.
"Coming back from my injury, I had a new perspective on the game of lacrosse," she said. "I just wanted to take every moment out there. I never wanted to take a moment for granted. I wanted to capitalize on each moment that I have with the ball on the offensive end. I was just able to see the field a lot better for some reason. I have this clarity. When my teammates make beautiful cuts, I'm able to hit them. It really made my mind clear coming into the second half of the season."
The statistics speak for themselves. Ronbeck is second on the Gators in both goals (46) and points (60), and she did so in three less games than most of her teammates. She ranks 29th in the country in goals per game with 3.29.
With Ronbeck back and leading the way, the Gators have the opportunity to exit the Big East Conference – the program will transition to the American Athletic Conference following this season – having won all four regular season and all four tournament championships since joining the league in 2015.
Beyond that, Florida figures to be a high seed in the NCAA Tournament as it seeks to advance past the tournament's opening weekend for the first time since 2014.
Sometimes in sports, teams get boosts from unexpected sources. Who could have ever imagined that what was once feared to be a season-ending injury could be the spark the Gators needed?
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