Composed, Confident, Clutch: Monaco Emerges As UF Lacrosse’s Leader In Big Moments

For most players, taking the game-winning shot brings an insurmountable amount of pressure, but for Gianna Monaco, those “do or die” moments are exactly where she thrives.

It is almost as if composure is woven into the DNA of Florida lacrosse’s junior attacker. Monaco has always had the ability to stay calm in high-stakes moments. She is the player who clutches victories for her team when it matters the most. 

“I’m really good kind of about staying composed and staying in the moment, honestly, half the time when I’m playing lacrosse, I don’t think about much, it’s just like it’s me,” Monaco said. “I’m really not thinking of much besides just it’s ‘do or die’ and no one wants to lose, so if I see the ball, I’m gonna take that ball and I’m gonna score it.”

Delivering in Big Moments

The New Jersey native has already netted two game-winning goals this season. On Feb. 7, Monaco had the game at her stick on a free-position shot against Johns Hopkins. With 17 seconds left and the score tied at 11-11, she buried her shot into the back of the net to secure the victory.

Then again, on March 27, Monaco scooped up a loose ground ball and scored a buzzer-beater in overtime to lift Florida past UPenn, marking the Gators’ fifth consecutive win.

In decisive moments like these, Monaco’s drive to succeed and competitiveness fuel her to make game-winning plays. She called the feeling afterward “surreal,” one of the best she’s ever experienced. 

Where It All Started

Monaco has tasted this feeling before. In her first year on varsity at Lenape High School, Monaco scored the game-winner in a conference championship with 10 seconds left, ending a three-year losing streak against their rival. 

In those final seconds, she said it feels like the world stops and then suddenly speeds up. All she hears is “Go, go, go,” as she launches the ball toward the net. 

Monaco finished her high school career with 130 goals in a single season — the second most in New Jersey history and a new single-season record for Lenape. She also set program records for career goals (312) and draw controls (293), all while overcoming a torn hip labrum that sidelined her for six months after her junior year.

“My first game back after my hip injury, I was very scared … timid almost and that’s not who I am,” Monaco said. “I’m a very aggressive, go-getter person and I just think that an injury like this is super hard, but I don’t think it’s impossible to come back from.” 

Rising As Florida’s Star

Now, as the Gators’ leading scorer with 44 goals, Monaco has established herself as an essential offensive player.

Her lacrosse IQ and physicality make her a dominant presence, UF coach Amanda O’Leary said. But it is Monaco’s hard work and consistent effort that sets her apart.

“When push comes to shove, when we need a goal, we want the ball in her stick, she’s very composed, very mature on the field,” O’Leary said. “Her ability to feed is just as good as her 1v1 ability, so she’s not only just a feeding threat, but she’s a dodging threat.”

Compared to her freshman and sophomore seasons, Monaco has become a go-to weapon. She has recorded 10 hat-tricks, 13 assists, eight caused turnovers and 13 ground balls. Halfway through the season, Monaco has already beaten her total points from last year (40) with 57. 

She credits her growth to UF’s now-graduated All-American attackers: Maggie Hall, Danielle Pavinelli, Madison Waters, Emily Heller and Ashley Gonzalez.

“I was the only sophomore on attack last year, so a little young sophomore with all these seniors, and they really shaped the way that I played and really taught me how to have an IQ,” Monaco said. “And how to be that go-to person, how to be the best and they pushed me to be better.”

Adjusting to New Pressures and Expectations

Taking on a larger role also brought new pressure. Monaco admitted that she struggled in the fall to adjust, feeling out of sync with her game. 

However, instead of succumbing to the pressure, she faced it head on. Monaco uses her grandfather’s favorite phrase, “everything happens for a reason,” to push her past rough days. Her belief that her “story is already written” helps ground and comfort her. 

“[During] fall ball, I was a little bit behind, I wasn’t playing my game how I knew,” Monaco said. “But I kind of had to say to myself and figure out myself, first worry about me, and then once I’m in my groove, then I can start helping other people.”

Monaco’s Evolving Leadership

She’s fully bought into Florida’s system. O’Leary said Monaco puts the extra effort into practice to better, not only herself, but also her teammates. Her willingness to guide others has made her a significant leader both on and off the field. 

“She does help her teammates walk through and get through some of those defensive kind of decisions that need to be made,” O’Leary said. “She’s somebody that you can go to … she instills her wisdom every day at practice.”

Specifically, Monaco has developed a strong bond with redshirt freshman Frannie Hahn. The duo, O’Leary said, has become a “double threat.”

“Our chemistry has developed from playing on the right side, rotating high and low,” Hahn said. “I think it comes down to, when I get the ball and I go to feed it, Gianna knows what spot to be in and I know where she’s going to be.”

Monaco’s bond with O’Leary has also been instrumental. From the moment she was recruited, Monaco felt a strong pull to Florida’s program. Since then, their player-coach relationship has deepened. The two often work closely together, bouncing ideas off one another. 

“I think that [O’Leary’s] really good at seeing something even if it’s so small,” Monaco said. “She just wants me to be the best version of myself possible and for this team, and so I really respect her for that, and I love when she coaches me.”

Leading the Younger Batch

Now, as an upperclassman, Monaco has embraced her role as a mentor to Florida’s younger team. Although the team is still gaining experience, she believes its passion and grit will set it up for success this season. 

“I think that we can feed off of each other’s energies,” Monaco said. “We are gritty, we won’t give up … we will fight to the very end.”

Monaco encourages her teammates to bounce back from mistakes and never get too down on themselves, advice she once received from Florida’s senior leaders.

And when the pressure builds, her presence helps steady the team. Hahn said Monaco’s ability to stay composed in intense moments is something the younger players look up to.

What’s Ahead

With Florida’s season still underway, Monaco is focused on leading the Gators to the NCAA tournament as the top seed with the ultimate goal of making it to the Final Four.

Personally, she hopes to reach a goal she has been working toward since childhood: to become an All-American. 

“I love wearing Florida across the front of my chest, so I think that if I could succeed and show them that Florida is great at lacrosse, even if you guys are going to underrate us,” Monaco said.