Florida remains in the conversation for a national championship, but how will the team cope without its top player and Tewaaraton finalist Shannon Gilroy? Gilroy led Florida in goals (74), assists (24), points (98), shots (146), draw controls (79) and caused turnovers (22). “She is one of our legends of Florida lacrosse. … I don’t think we’re looking to replace her because that’s an impossible task" Coach O'Leary said. Although she is gone, Florida has the potential and athleticism to turn the page with 10 returning starters. Mollie Stevens was second behind Gilroy with 52 points and should take control offensively in 2016. She also tallied 22 ground balls, 19 draw controls and 12 caused turnovers. “She was an integral part of our offense,” O’Leary said. “She has as much of a chance as anybody. She’s very good inside and can dodge from the top, so I think she has a lot of talent that she can exploit defenses.”
UConn was the only conference rival to beat Florida during the regular season. While the Huskies failed to repeat the win in the Big East tournament (a 20-6 Florida win), that one-goal difference, which was also the last game on Florida’s 2015 regular season schedule, will resonate with the returning Huskies. If the Gators don’t remain consistent, this game could determine the beginning in the Big East tournament. While they did win the Big East crown, their play also was very inconsistent. In between losses to North Carolina that ended their season, Florida fell to Syracuse in overtime, Maryland, Stony Brook and Big East rival UConn. This year Florida is ready to bring their absolute best with Mollie Stevens, Lindsey Ronbeck, and Carly Ross.
watch Florida compete against Team USA:
Hard work really does pay off !!
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