First draw is set for 11 a.m. at American Legion Memorial Stadium in the Crown Lacrosse Classic.
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CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The fifth-ranked Florida lacrosse team (3-1, 0-0 Big 12) will travel to Charlotte to take on the 18th ranked James Madison Dukes (3-1, 0-0 AAC) on Saturday in the Crown Lacrosse Classic at American Legion Memorial Stadium. First draw is slated for 11 a.m.
Florida is coming off a win at USF by a score of 18-11 last Tuesday night. UF led by as many as nine goals in the win, powered by seven different goal scorers, led by Gianna Monaco with five goals. Jordan Basso, Clark Hamilton and Gabbi Koury each pitched in three goals apiece.
Monaco was named Big 12 Attacker of the Week, Hamilton was named Freshman of the Week, Celeste Forte (one caused turnover) was named Defender of the Week and Georgia Hoey (seven saves, two ground balls) was named Goalkeeper of the Week for their performances in last week’s game in Tampa.
Gators Leaders
Goals: Gianna Monaco (13)
Assists: Frannie Hahn (8)
Points: Gianna Monaco (15)
Ground Balls: Georgia Hoey (9)
Caused Turnovers: Theresa Bragg (10)
Draw Controls: Cali Bishop (12)
Saves: Georgia Hoey (26)
Series History
The Gators lead the all-time series 4-2, riding a current three game winning streak against the Dukes. The two teams spent two seasons together in the AAC from 2023-2024, where each team one the regular season title once and the Gators winning the conference tournament both years.
Florida won the last matchup on May 4, 2024 in the AAC Conference Tournament Championship by a score of 21-11. The Gators were charged by four Gators who recorded hat-tricks (Maggi Hall, Danielle Pavinelli, Emily Heller, Ashley Gonzalez).
Outlook on the Dukes
James Madison is riding a three-game winning streak, coming off a 14-10 victory against Richmond on Wednesday night.
The Dukes are led by attacker/draw specialist Maddie Epke, who leads the team in goals (12), assists (5), points (17) and draw controls (38). The junior was named AAC Preseason Attacker of the Year and earned Nike Preseason D1 Media All-American third team. JMU is coached by Shelley Klaes, who is in her 19th season for the Dukes.
Monaco the Maestro
Monaco has totaled 12 goals over the last three games, with her five goals and six points last game against USF being career highs. The junior has a shooting percentage of .522 over the last three games and is shooting .500 from the field overall on the year (13-for-26). Monaco leads the team in goals (13) and points (15) on the season.
Koury in the House
Koury is coming off a game where compiled career highs with three goals and five points, good for her first career hat-trick. The sophomore also won a career high five draw controls in the circle for the Gators, displaying her versatility. Koury is the only player on Florida with 10 or more points and five or more draw controls, logging five goals, five assists, nine draw controls, two ground balls and one caused turnover on the season.
Draw Game on the Come Up
The Gators set a season high of 22 draw controls in their last game, winning the draw battle by a 22-10 margin over USF. Eight different players logged a draw control, led by Cali Bishop who won a career high eight draw controls. Koury knotted a career high five, followed by two each from Gabby Greene and Riley Zusi. UF has 50 draw controls over their last three games, compared to just 32 from their opponents.
Key Notes
* The Gators and Dukes average score differential in six matchups has been 6.70 goals per game, with three of the four Gators wins coming by eight or more goals
* Florida owns a 2-0 record all-time against JMU on neutral site fields
* Since 2010, the Dukes have given up 20 or more goals twice, with one of those games being against the Gators on May 4, 2024
* Redshirt freshman Frannie Hahn has recorded three or more points in three games this season, recording her first multi-goal game of her career against USF
Active Streaks (five or more)
* Jordan Basso: points (78), assists (10)
* Gianna Monaco: points (21), goals (6)
* Theresa Bragg: caused turnovers (5)
* Georgia Hoey: saves (5)
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