UF teammates Sydney Pirreca, left, and Lindsey Ronbeck have been joined at the hip since they arrived as the top two recruits in the country. (Photo: Tim Casey/UAA Communications)
A Close Connection: Ronbeck, Pirreca Shine on Senior Day Like so Many Times Before
Sunday, April 28, 2019 | Lacrosse, Scott Carter
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By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – They first met in high school as a couple of teenagers growing up on Long Island, 1,000 miles from where they would eventually become college teammates.
Lindsey Ronbeck is from Manhasset, N.Y. Sydney Pirreca grew up in Mount Sinai, about an hour's drive away. In their neck of country, lacrosse is as popular as college football is in these parts.
As two of the region's top prep standouts, Ronbeck and Pirreca didn't go unnoticed, earning numerous accolades and interest from college coaches. A friendly rivalry turned into friendship when they were invited to participate in tryouts for the U.S. U19 National Team in the summer of 2014.
"We were hip to hip,'' said Pirreca, a midfielder. "That's when we got really close."
Their connection grew from there and both signed to play at the University of Florida a few months later – Pirreca ranked the No. 1 recruit in the country and Ronbeck No. 2 according to Inside Lacrosse – highlighting an 11-player signing class that industry analysts ranked No. 1 overall.
Fast forward nearly five years and on a warm Saturday afternoon at Donald Dizney Stadium, Ronbeck and Pirreca played starring roles as usual in Florida's 25-6 win over Cincinnati for the American Athletic Conference regular-season title.
It was a banner day in so many ways for the two UF seniors.
For starters, it was Ronbeck's 22nd birthday. How did she celebrate? By scoring a school-record nine goals, a feat she had flirted with all season and finally put in the net in what is likely the final home game for the players honored during Senior Day on Saturday.
With the Gators already clutching victory but more than 13 minutes left in the game, Ronbeck darted through the crease in front of the goal searching for her next shot. Finally, fellow senior Alix Lopez, who had possession of the ball behind the goal, flipped a pass onto Ronbeck's stick. Ronbeck fired the ball into the net for the record-setting score, her team-high 76th goal of the season and 230th of her career.
Gators senior Lindsey Ronbeck takes aim in Saturday's victory over Cincinnati that earned Florida the American Athletic Conference regular-season title. (Photo: Tim Casey/UAA Communications)
Moments later, UF coach Amanda O'Leary pulled Ronbeck from the game to a rousing ovation.
"It was really special,'' Ronbeck said. "It was a goal of mine since the beginning of the season. It's really cool to hold a record and it's really special to be like the first person. It's kind of like leaving my mark on the Florida lacrosse program."
The UF underclassmen honored their senior teammates prior to the game by decorating the locker room with posters and other mementos to mark the occasion. Ronbeck said that's when she first started to get emotional, realizing the magnitude of the day.
The Gators leave Tuesday for the AAC Tournament in Cincinnati and then will begin preparing for the NCAA Tournament, which they are expected to be on the road for barring surprise developments in the national seeding.
With around five minutes left in Saturday's victory, O'Leary put the nine seniors in uniform back on the field together. More emotion bubbled inside for the players.
"I've been with these girls since freshman year,'' Ronbeck said. "To end the game being on the field with all my seniors was just incredibly amazing. I realized I won't be playing on this field again most likely. That's kind of when it all hit."
In typical fashion for this Gators team, the seniors played an instrumental role in the victory. Cincinnati led 3-2 more than six minutes into the game when Pirreca scored the tying goal with an assist from fellow senior Caroline Benitez. Forty seconds later, Ronbeck scored the go-ahead goal on a pass from senior Madi Hall. The Gators never looked back, scoring 23 of the game's final 26 goals.
"On the stats it shows that the seniors kind of led the way,'' said Pirreca, who added four goals and two assists. "It's our job to do that."
A job they have done well.
"We've relied on these seniors. You savor every moment you have with them,'' O'Leary said. "They're such a special group and I think we saw that. I'm just so proud of them and what they've done."
As the final seconds ticked off the clock, the seniors began to embrace under the warm afternoon sun. They walked off the field champions, their smiles still fresh from the conference championship trophy celebration.
Ronbeck and Pirreca posed for a photo together. They are teammates and roommates.
"We're the only seniors who have lived together all four years,'' Pirreca said.
It's a bond that has served both well. One that formed several summers ago and has grown over the years. One they hope remains intact for a while longer in their Gators uniforms.
