No. 8 Gators Lacrosse Scores 16 to Defeat No. 15 Clemson

After suffering an early deficit from No. 15 Clemson, No. 8 Florida Gators lacrosse scored nine goals in the second quarter to earn a sweeping victory.

UF (7-2) defeated the Tigers (6-4) 16-10 on Thursday afternoon in South Carolina, securing its fourth win over a ranked opponent and third come-from-behind victory of the season.

UF junior midfielder Kaitlyn Davies led the way with a career-high four goals in the second quarter to spearhead a comeback. She secured a career-high five caused turnovers, while also tying for career bests with five draw controls and three ground balls.

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The Gators had six other players contributing in the scoring column, with graduate student attacker Jordan Basso scoring three, followed by junior attacker Gianna Monaco, senior midfielder Josie Hahn, graduate student midfielder Jenny Markey and freshman midfielder Gabby Greene each recording two. Redshirt freshman attacker Frannie Hahn also scored one goal and reached a team-high three assists.

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Overall, Florida dominated Clemson defensively, winning 16 draw controls compared to the Tigers’ 12. UF also had the edge with 20 ground balls compared to Clemsons’ 16.

Offensively, the Gators reached a season-high seven free-position goals (.875 percent).

UF graduate student Georgia Hoey kept Florida’s second-quarter lead alive during her 52 minutes of play. She subbed in for redshirt junior goalkeeper Elyse Finnelle in the second quarter, who originally had the start. Hoey saved seven shots and surrendered six goals on the day.

In the first quarter, Clemson sophomore attacker Kayla Macleod scored a hat trick, bringing the Tigers to a 5-2 lead. Macleod led the Tigers with a match-high five goals.

However, in the second quarter, seven different Gators contributed to nine goals to take the lead back. Florida outscored Clemson 9-2, securing an 11-7 advantage at half.

With a 13-9 lead entering the final quarter, Hoey made four saves to maintain Florida’s advantage. Basso also scored two more goals to finish her hat trick, securing her fourth of the season. Greene also added one goal. UF outscored Clemson 3-1 in the fourth to cinch a victory in the team’s first career meeting.

Florida next travels to face the University of Pennsylvania (4-2) in Philadelphia on Wednesday at noon.