Florida Lacrosse
during the Gators' game against the East Carolina Pirates on Saturday, April 15, 2023 at Donald R. Dizney Stadium in Gainesville, FL / UAA Communications photo by Matt Pendleton

Gators Lacrosse beats Vanderbilt

The #8 Gator lacrosse team played their final home game of the season Saturday in a win versus conference opponent Vanderbilt. Besides being the last game of the year at the Diz, it was also senior day for 17 Gators. Florida won the game with a final score of 22-6.

https://twitter.com/GatorsLAX/status/1649834475503902720

First Quarter

It only took 85 seconds for senior midfielder Emily Heller to open things up for the Gators with the first goal of the game. After that, Heller waited less than 40 seconds to put another one in the back of the net. The Commodores responded with a goal of their own, but the Gators scored another six unanswered to end the quarter, including two from Emma LoPinto. The Gators held an 8-1 lead into the first break.

https://twitter.com/GatorsLAX/status/1649807482607521792

Second Quarter

Vanderbilt was down big to start the second quarter but they refused to quit. The Commodores scored two lightning-quick goals to trim the large Florida lead, but after that, the Gators went back to work. The Gators scored six of the last seven in the second quarter, including the third goals of the game for Heller and LoPinto. At the end of the first half, the Gators went to the locker room with a 10-point, 14-4 lead.

https://twitter.com/GatorsLAX/status/1649819948049653761

Third Quarter

The third quarter saw only the Gators extend their already big lead. Emily Heller continued her big day by scoring her fourth goal of the game. Goals from Ashley Gonzalez, Danielle Pavinelli, and Maggi Hall saw the Gators’ lead swell to 14. Florida held an 18-4 lead heading into the final quarter.

https://twitter.com/GatorsLAX/status/1649825351714115584

Fourth Quarter

A relatively quiet fourth quarter saw the Gators extend their lead. Florida scored four goals, including senior Sarah Mackey’s second of the season to close out the game. The Gators end the game with a win with a final score of 22-6.

https://twitter.com/GatorsLAX/status/1649833115643449345

What’s next for Gators Lacrosse?

While the Gators have played their final home game of the season, they have two more regular season match ups to end the regular season. Their next game is on the road in Jacksonville versus the Jacksonville University Dolphins. That midweek match up is this Wednesday at 7 p.m. The match will be streamed on ESPN+.

About Nathaniel Wilson

Nathaniel is a second-year graduate student in the College of Journalism and Communications at the University of Florida. You can reach Nathaniel by email at nathanielwilson@ufl.edu.

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