Catherine Flaherty, Liz Harrison, Emily Heller and Danielle Pavinelli have been chosen to lead the 2024 Gators
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Catherine Flaherty<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-lacrosse/roster/catherine-flaherty/16403>, Liz Harrison<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-lacrosse/roster/liz-harrison/16409>, Emily Heller<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-lacrosse/roster/emily-heller/16410>, and Danielle Pavinelli<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-lacrosse/roster/danielle-pavinelli/16417> have been named captains for the Florida Lacrosse team ahead of the 2024 season. Flaherty and Pavinelli will be captains for the second consecutive year, while Harrison and Heller earn this honor for the first time.
“Our captains have a true passion for the game and the success of their teammates,” said head coach Amanda O’Leary<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-lacrosse/roster/coaches/amanda-o-leary/1775>. “They each embody the qualities necessary to lead this team to greatness.
“They were voted team captains by their teammates and each bring different characteristics that balance, inspire and empower the vision of our 2024 season. We are beyond proud to have four exceptional leaders and are confident they will steer us to success this season.”
Flaherty joined the Gators in 2022 after spending the first two years of her career at the University of Maryland. The Manorville, N.Y. native was a crucial piece of a Florida defense that ranked second in the American Athletic Conference in goals allowed and top 20 nationally last season (9.33 Avg/G). She was a 2023 All-AAC Second Team selection contributing career-highs in caused turnovers (15) and ground balls (22).
Harrison is coming off a season where she registered a career high 103 draw controls. This number ranks fifth all-time in program history for draw controls in a season while she became just the fifth player to eclipse the 100 mark in a season. Her career high 16 draw controls last season tied a program record set by Shannon Kavanagh in 2021. The senior currently sits fourth all time in school history with 210 career draw controls.
Heller was named USA Lacrosse Magazine Preseason All-American Honorable Mention just a week ago. She led the team last season with 40 ground balls to go along with 39 goals, and 46 draw controls. The midfielder received IWLCA Second Team All-American, ILWomen Third Team All-American and AAC Midfielder of the year in 2023. The fifth-year senior currently sits sixth all time in draw controls with 177. With 89 current goals, and 100 career groundballs, she looks to become the third player in program history with 200 draw controls, 100 goals and 100 ground balls in a career.
Like Heller, Pavinelli was named USA Lacrosse Magazine Preseason All-American last week as well. She was an All-AAC First Team selection just a year ago, recording 47 goals, 21 assists, 18 ground balls and 15 caused turnovers. She currently ranks 10th all time in points with 204. The senior had streaks well into the 2023 season of 42-straight games with a point (tied for fourth-longest) and 40 straight games with a goal (tied for second-longest).
Led by these four captains, Florida opens up the season at sixth ranked Loyola on February 10 at 12 p.m.
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