No. 5 Florida Lacrosse Blows Out Kennesaw State In Home Opener

The No. 5 Florida lacrosse team dominated Kennesaw State University, 18-5, in its home opener Sunday at the Donald R. Dizney Stadium. 

The Gators (2-0) established their presence from the start. In just the first half, the Gators completed 19 shots on goal, scoring 12. By the end of the game, Florida had taken 36 shots, with 30 on goal, compared to Kennesaw State (0-2), which only shot 10, eight of which were on goal.  

“It’s always just special at home,” UF coach Amanda O’Leary said. “I thought we played really hard [and] so I’m really just pleased with our effort tonight.”

Freshman attacker Clark Hamilton scored the first goal to set the tone, marking her second goal of the season. The No. 21 player in the ILWomen Class of 2024 Power 100 rankings scored a team-high five goals on five shots. 

“[Clark] just brings such a level of explosiveness, she’s a sharp shooter,” O’Leary said. “And she’s only a freshman, and so there’s a ton of growth that we’re going to see, and it’s going to be special, and she is special.”

Clark gets on the board early off a feed from Gabbi ⚡️

📺ESPN+#FLax | #GoGators pic.twitter.com/woPlWGEAyp

— Gators Lacrosse (@GatorsLAX) February 9, 2025

Junior attacker Gianna Monaco followed with Florida’s second goal of the game on a man-advantage. Monaco, who secured the game-winning goal against Johns Hopkins on Friday in Baltimore, played a pivotal role on offense, tallying four goals by halftime.

Redshirt freshman attacker Frannie Hahn and sophomore midfielder Gabbi Koury each added a goal in the first quarter, helping the Gators jump out to an early lead.

Florida had three other freshmen who led in the scoring column, with midfielders Gabby Greene, Chiara Scichilone and Ryann Frechette finding the back of the net. Greene scored two, while Scichilone and Frechette scored one each.

Graduate student attacker Jordan Basso capped off the first half with a goal in the final 50 seconds, sending Florida into halftime with a commanding 12-0 lead. Basso also contributed two assists alongside Koury. 

UF graduate student goalkeeper Georgia Hoey held the defense with a team-high three saves in the first half to keep the Owls scoreless. Meanwhile, KSU senior goalkeeper Natalia Cruz recorded 11 out of her team’s 12 saves. 

After halftime, Kennesaw State finally broke through and got on the scoreboard, scoring three goals in the third quarter. The Owls scored five goals in the second half. 

KSU freshman attacker/midfielder Cate Cummings, junior midfielder Shannon Harrington and senior defender Anna Beth Frank each scored against UF redshirt junior goalkeeper Elyse Finnelle in the third quarter. 

In Finnelle’s first game of the season, she did not record a save. UF freshman goalkeeper Susan Radebaugh replaced Finnelle in the fourth quarter, acquiring her first six minutes for Florida. 

However, the Gators responded with three goals: Clark, Scichilone, and junior attacker Ava Tighe.

In the last quarter, Florida outshot Kennesaw State 3-2. Greene scored her second goal of the season, while Frechette and sophomore midfielder Cate Isaacson scored in the last three minutes of the game to close out Florida’s home opener.

KSU freshman attacker Lexi Tinker notched her first goal of the season, while Harrington scored her third. 

sunday at the Diz😎#FLax | #GoGators | Presented by @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/dvLkC54NX3

— Gators Lacrosse (@GatorsLAX) February 9, 2025

The Gators remain home to face the No. 4 North Carolina (1-0) on Saturday at noon.

“Their accolades just speak for themselves, so it’ll be a great game for us, one that will certainly challenge us without a doubt, but I think this team is certainly up for the challenge,” O’Leary said. “It’s just one of those rivalries that we love to have.”

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