First draw is set for 3 p.m. on Friday at Wakemed Soccer Park. The game will be aired on ESPNU.
Watch No. 10 Florida take on No. 1 Northwestern<https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/2c7cb077-408d-4725-a341-4f6438be0291>
Tune into 98.1 FM and 850 A.M. for Radio<https://floridagators.com/watch/?Live=5445&type=Archive>
Follow along for live stats<https://www.ncaa.com/game/6292000>
Click here for game notes<file:///C:/Users/CoreyL/Downloads/Game%2023%20-%20Northwestern.pdf>
CARY, N.C. – For the second time and first time since 2012, the Florida lacrosse team (20-2, 6-0 AAC) will be competing in championship weekend. The Gators will take on the reigning champions and first-seeded Northwestern Wildcats (17-2, 5-1 Big Ten) on Friday at Wakemed Soccer Park. Opening draw will tip-off at 3 p.m. on ESPNU, with tickets costing $33 for admission. Click here<https://am.ticketmaster.com/ncaa/24wlax?utm_source=NCAATickets&utm_medium=TopSlider&utm_campaign=OnSale&_gl=1*6x6ew3*_gcl_au*MTUzMDQwMDg0OC4xNzE0OTY1MDcw> for more information.
It is the 11th career meeting between these two programs, as Florida leads the all-time series 6-4. The Gators have not squared off against Northwestern in 10 years, with the last matchup taking place on May 17, 2014 in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament which UF lost in overtime by a score of 12-11. It is the third neutral site matchup between the two programs, with Florida dropping the previous two.
Last Time Out
Florida took down the fourth-seeded Maryland Terrapins 15-9 last Thursday afternoon in College Park. UF scored 32 seconds into the game, leading to opening up a 9-0 lead in the first quarter. Maggi Hall tallied seven points and tied a career high of six goals in the victory. Hall recorded her 108th point of the season, breaking Lindsey Ronbeck’s total of 107 in 2019 for the new program record. Elyse Finnelle totaled 10 saves in the victory.
Outlook on the Wildcat
The Wildcats arrive in Cary for their fifth consecutive final four appearance. Northwestern is coming off a quarterfinals victory over eighth-seeded Penn by a margin of 20-7.
Northwestern is led by the trio of Madison Taylor (75 goals, 32 assists), Izzy Scane (79 goals, 20 assists) and Erin Coykendall (41 goals, 55 assists) who have combined for 302 of the teams 485 points (62.2 percent). The Wildcats are coached by Kelly Amonte-Hiller who is in her 23rd season coaching in Evanston, owning a career 368-90 record.
Former Conference Foes
The Gators were in the American Lacrosse Conference (ALC) with the Wildcats from 2010-2014. The two teams met four times in the ALC Championship game, with both squads winning two games each.
High Powered Offenses
Florida (17.90 goals per game), and Northwestern (17.16 goals per game) rank first and second in scoring offense nationally, as the Gators have nine players this season with 20 or more goals.
The trio of Hall (60 goals, 54 assists), Danielle Pavinelli (54 goals, 39 assists), and Ashley Gonzalez (34 goals, 33 assists) have combined for 46.1 percent of the team’s points. At least one of these three have led the Gators in points in 12 consecutive games and 19 times overall.
Key Notes
* UF is riding a 20 game winning streak, outscoring opponents by 11.50 goals per game during this period
* The Florida backline is holding opponents to .280 percent shooting (25 for 89) in the NCAA Tournament, allowing 8.33 goals per game
* Finnelle’s 30 saves through three games ties a program record for most saves in an NCAA Tournament for Florida
* The Gators have scored first in 20 of 22 games this season, outscoring opponents by a +3.77 margin in first quarters
* Both teams rank top-10 in shot percentage, scoring offense, assists per game, draw controls per game, and scoring margin
* UF is 20-0 when Gonzalez appears in games as she is averaging 3.35 points per game
* 283 of Florida’s 394 goals this season have been scored by seniors (71.8 percent)
* UF is looking to join Boston College (2017) and Princeton (2003) as the third unseeded team to make the national championship since 2003
* Pavinelli has totaled four or more points in 14 of her last 15 games, and Maggi Hall has earned seven points in four of her last six contests
Milestone Watching
* Danielle Pavinelli is three points away from 300 in her career, and two assists away from moving into third all-time in assists
* Ashley Gonzalez is nine points away from 200 in her career
Active Streaks (eight games or better)
* Maggi Hall<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-lacrosse/roster/maggi-hall/16408>: points (41), goals (14)
* Liz Harrison<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-lacrosse/roster/liz-harrison/16409>: draw controls (23)
* Danielle Pavinelli<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-lacrosse/roster/danielle-pavinelli/16417>: points (21), goals (12)
* Ashley Gonzalez<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-lacrosse/roster/ashley-gonzalez/16405>: points (20), assists (12)
* Elyse Finnelle<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-lacrosse/roster/elyse-finnelle/16402>: saves (14)
* Emily Heller: draw controls (10)
* Paisley Eagan: draw controls (10)
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