Sarah Reznick protected the net in fine form on Wednesday as the Gators won their 10th consecutive game. (Photo: UAA Communications)
Sarah Did Sarah — Always a Good Sign for Gators
Thursday, April 28, 2022 | Lacrosse, Scott Carter
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By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Their chants were so consistent that it made it difficult to ignore them on Wednesday night at Dizney Stadium.
C'mon, Sarah.
Yeah, Sarah.
That's the way, Sarah.
Five-foot-2-inch Sarah Reznick, armed with her goalie stick and protected by a helmet, stood much taller for the UF lacrosse team in a 12-6 victory over Jacksonville. Reznick swatted shots away. She caught shots with her stick, and she kicked would-be goals to the side.
"Sarah did Sarah,'' Gators coach Amanda O'Leary said afterward. "We are kind of used to that from her."
Reznick performed another night's work in front of an intimate-but-festive crowd, oblivious to the supporters in the stands yelling her name more often than usual in a tense affair between the Gators and Dolphins.
Florida and Jacksonville both entered the game ranked. The Gators ninth, the Dolphins No. 22. Both packed impressive winning streaks for the match. Florida entered with a nine-game streak, Jacksonville riding an eight-game streak.
In the brief history of women's college lacrosse in the Sunshine State — both Florida and Jacksonville started playing in 2010 — the Gators-Dolphins rivalry is as good as it gets.
"It's a state battle," Reznick said. "Both teams are always very aggressive, very chippy. They always give us a run for our money."
The rivalry heated up a year ago when the Dolphins, after losing the first nine matchups between the programs whose rosters are dotted with players from the Northeast who grew up playing against one another, finally broke through with a victory. As you can imagine, that didn't sit well with the Gators.
When the teams played again 64 days later — this time at Dizney Stadium and in the NCAA Tournament — Florida prevailed 17-3.
Sarah did Sarah.
"They always test me,'' Reznick said. "I was a little overwhelmed when we played them the first time, and I didn't really realize they were going to pepper me with shots."
Reznick, a redshirt sophomore from Long Beach, N.Y., had no such issues Wednesday in the Gators' regular-season home finale. She was well aware that the Dolphins visited town leading the nation in scoring, averaging 17.9 goals per game. She knew Jacksonville's attacking duo of Sarah Elms and Jenny Kinsey had combined for 91 goals in 14 games, an average of more than 6.6 per game. They netted a combined four on Wednesday.
Reznick was peppered with shots as expected, especially in the first half when she recorded nine of her 11 saves before taking a seat in the final minute with a 10th consecutive UF victory in hand. In a fast-paced, back-and-forth defensive battle, the Gators led 9-3 at the break and held on from there.
Emerson Cabrera chipped in two goals in Florida's victory over Jacksonville on Wednesday. (Photo: UAA Communications)
It was a pleasant evening for O'Leary and her staff as they gear up for Saturday's regular-season finale at East Carolina, followed by the NCAA Tournament.
"They're a team that will shoot out of their dodge at any point,'' O'Leary said. "We worked on it at practice with [Reznick]. She knew what they were going to do. I thought she came up with some huge saves early on."
The Gators are showing signs of being a formidable opponent in the postseason. They haven't lost since a road trip to Loyola in early March and feature a couple of prolific scorers of their own in Danielle Pavinelli (55 goals) and Emma LoPinto (48). Both players netted a pair of goals against the Dolphins and received ample support from teammates Emily Heller (3), Paisley Eagan (2) and Emerson Cabrera (2).
The Gators opened against a string of perennial powers, losing to North Carolina, Maryland and Stony Brook early in the season. However, a victory over Syracuse on March 16 ignited their current win streak and proved they could beat the best.
"It just pushed us," Reznick said.
O'Leary is the only coach in program history and is eager to see what the postseason offers. The Gators made it all the way to the national semifinals in 2012 and have fought to get back since. A decade ago, they suffered a controversial loss to Syracuse and were knocked from the Elite Eight a season ago by the Orange.
What is in store this season? Stay tuned.
But if the Gators can perform the way they did Wednesday, the possibilities are intriguing.
"I thought they came out of the locker room ready to go," O'Leary said. "Nothing to be ashamed of out there. It's really a good win. We are getting better each and every day. For all of us, that's the goal."
And Sarah did Sarah.
When that happens, the Gators always have a chance.
