STORRS, Conn. – The top-seeded Florida Gators cruised by the third-seeded Connecticut Huskies, 20-6, capturing the 2015 BIG EAST Tournament. Senior midfielder Shannon Gilroy tallied five goals and was named the BIG EAST Tournament Most Outstanding Player, helping the Gators lock up a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
The Gators' 14-goal victory in the Final was the largest margin of victory in a BIG EAST Championship Final
On the same field where they suffered their only BIG EAST loss during the regular season, the Gators jumped out to a 5-1 lead by the 16:05 mark. Senior Nora Barry led the charge, scoring the Gators' first three goals – all three unassisted.
UConn seemed to be gaining momentum at the end of the first half after it scored two late goals and entered halftime trailing 8-4.
The Huskies tallied the first goal of the second half and it seemed reminiscent of the previous game between the two squads when UConn rallied from an 8-1 halftime deficit. This time, the Gators were not going to be allowing any comebacks.
Junior Devon Schneider keyed a 12-0 run that last nearly 20 minutes and put the game out of reach and gave the Gators revenge.
Schneider tied a career-high with five goals and Gilroy chipped in with four goals and one assist. Barry, redshirt junior Nicole Graziano, junior Lauren Lea and sophomore Mollie Stevens each scored multiple goals. Junior Mary-Sean Wilcox finished with two saves, both of which came in the first half, to earn the win in goal.
Shannon Gilroy was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player today.
Tournament Bracket
Semifinals – Thursday, April 30
No. 1 Florida 18, No. 4 Villanova 8
No. 3 Connecticut 11, No. 2 Georgetown 10
Final – Saturday, May 2
No. 1 Florida 20 No. 3 Connecticut 6
Florida's All-Tournament Representatives
Shannon Gilroy – Most Outstanding Player
Taylor Bresnahan
Caroline Fitzgerald
Mollie Stevens
Numbers of Note
- Florida set BIG EAST Tournament records for goals (38) and assists (17)
- The 14-goal victory today is the most in a BIG EAST Final game, doubling the previous mark owned by Syracuse in 2008
- UF's +24 scoring margin is three greater than the previous standard set by the Orange in 2008
- Eight Gators scored goals and UF outshot UConn, 36-15
- Florida's 19 draw controls were a season high and Nora Barry and Shannon Gilroy each had five
- Gilroy netted four goals and now has 249 in her career, which ranks 11th all-time in NCAA Division I history
- Gilroy entered today's game second-nationally in points while ranking third-nationally in goals. She now has 89 points and 67 goals in 2015
- Gilroy also added five draw controls and three caused turnovers
- Sophomore Mollie Stevens extended her program-record goal-scoring streak to 23 games with a goal off an assist from Nicole Graziano at the 16:02-minute mark in the first half
- Junior Devon Schneider tied a career high with five goals
Mandee's Minute
Head coach Amanda O'Leary
Thoughts on the game:
“I am very proud of our effort today. I think we played a complete 60-minute game and I am really pleased at what we did on both ends of the field.”
On pumping up the intensity in practice:
“The draw was the critical piece to the puzzle. In the first half it went back and forth and the scored showed it, but in the second half we did really well on the draw. I thought Taylor Bresnahan and Sammi Burgess did a great job coming off the line. The whole group of them did a good job tonight.”
What's Next
Florida received the BIG EAST's automatic bid to the 2015 NCAA Tournament and awaits to see where, when and who it will play. The NCAA Tournament Selection Show airs Sunday, May 3, at 9 p.m. on NCAA.com.
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