UF LAX: No. 10 Florida Heads to Greenville for Weekend Meeting with the Pirates

First draw is set for 12 p.m. at Johnson Stadium.

GREENVILLE, N.C. – The 10th ranked Florida lacrosse team continues their conference play schedule, as they head up to the Tar Heel State to take on the East Carolina Pirates on Saturday. Opening draw is set for 12 p.m. on ESPN+.

This is the eighth career meeting between these two schools, with UF winning all seven previous matchups, made up of five wins by double figures. The Gators defeated the Pirates twice last season, including a 12-9 victory in the AAC Tournament Semifinals in Philadelphia. It was a game that Florida only led for 51 seconds heading into the fourth quarter, but the Gators outscored the Pirates 5-0 in the final frame to advance to the AAC Tournament Championship. Maggi Hall tallied a game high eight points on three goals and five assists, with help from Emily Heller who totaled two goals.

Florida sits at 11-2 this season, riding the nation’s longest winning streak at 11. The Gators sit at 2-0 in AAC play, coming off a 20-5 road victory over Vanderbilt last Saturday. Danielle Pavinelli and Ashley Gonzalez combined for 13 points, as Pavinelli scored five goals, assisting on two, while Gonzalez had three goals and three assists. Madison Waters also tagged in a hat-trick, as 11 different players scored overall. Waters (midfielder), Cate Isaacson (freshman) and Elyse Finnelle (goalkeeper) were all named AAC Conference Players of the Week for their performances over the last two games.

Outlook on the Pirates
East Carolina resides at 3-9 this season, coming off a home loss to Clemson on Tuesday by a score of 17-7. The Pirates got off to a 3-1 start, but have dropped eight games in a row since. They are 0-3 in AAC play, losing most recently to Cincinnati last Saturday by a score of 12-11.

The Pirates are led by Erin Gulden and Frances Kimel offensively, as Gulden leads the team in goals with 24, and Kimel leads the team in points with 46. Kimel ranks second in the AAC behind Hall in assists with 25. The Pirates are coached by Brittany Dipper, who is in her first season as head coach, while East Carolina is in its seventh season as a lacrosse program.

Back in the Top 10
The Gators came in at No. 10 this week in the IWLCA rankings, putting them back in the top 10 for the first time since Feb. 11. During this 11-game winning streak, Florida is averaging 11.18 different goal scorers per game, and have had 10 or more goal scorers in nine of those 11 games. UF has four different players with 20 or more goals, and seven different players with 20 or more points, led by Hall (26 goals, 36 assists), and Pavinelli (31 goals, 24 assists).

Ginormous Gonzalez Impact
The Gators have an 11-0 record this season when Gonzalez has seen the field. The senior ranks fifth on the team in goals (18), and third on the team in assists (15) and points (33). The attacker has recorded a point in all 11 games she’s appeared in this season, and has totaled at least three points in the last six games.

Key Notes

* Florida owns a 2-0 career record on the road against East Carolina, winning by a combined score of 34-11
* The Gators own a 27-1 record all-time in the AAC
* Liz Harrison leads the country in total draw controls with 169, and is second in draw controls per game with 12.54
Milestone Watching

* Emily Heller is two draw controls away from 200 career draw controls
* Sarah Falk is two points away from 200 career points
* Amanda O’Leary is seven wins away from 400 career wins
* Danielle Pavinelli is three points behind Kitty Cullen for fifth all-time
Active Streaks (eight games or better)

* Maggi Hall<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-lacrosse/roster/maggi-hall/16408>: points (32)
* Madison Waters<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-lacrosse/roster/madison-waters/16420>: points (21)
* Emily Heller<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-lacrosse/roster/emily-heller/16410>: points (20), goals (15)
* Liz Harrison: draw controls (14)
* Paisley Eagan: points (12)
* Danielle Pavinelli: points (12), assists (10)
* Ashley Gonzalez: points (11)
* Sarah Falk: points (9)
Watch No. 10 Florida take on East Carolina<https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/b0c54597-b7a6-483d-853d-e743db0a3c47>
Follow along throughout the game with live stats<https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=517395&vislive=fla>
For more information, click here for game notes<https://floridagators.com/documents/2024/4/3/Game_14-_East_Carolina.pdf>