GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The message is always the same. The same will be true on Friday afternoon when the Gators lacrosse team opens the NCAA Tournament.
 

“We talk about being where our feet are and coming out of the locker room quick and fast and trying to get a lead,” O’Leary said, “but sometimes that just doesn’t happen.”

 

O’Leary’s memory of the last time it happened is fresh. She only needs to flip through her mental archive to six days ago.

 

In Saturday’s Big 12 Tournament championship game against Arizona State, the Sun Devils struck first and continued to strike, taking a 4-1 lead midway into the first quarter when Anna Thornton scored a free-position goal. Following a media timeout, the Gators began to realize where their feet were.

 

They were in Boulder, Colorado, with an opportunity to clinch a top-four national seed in the NCAA Tournament with a victory. Final: Florida 21, Arizona State 10.

 

The Gators have cemented that mentality on their way to 14 consecutive victories heading into the showdown with Mercer, the Big South Conference champions. When they get down, they get going.

Florida has trailed in eight of 19 games this season, not precisely how O’Leary draws up the gameplan.

 

Still, here they are, back in the NCAA Tournament with an opportunity to win three consecutive home games and return to the Final Four.

 

The Gators grew up fast.

 

“A lot of them weren’t on the field. They were on the sideline,” O’Leary said of last season’s team. “I think they understand the commitment of what it takes to get to that point. I do think it plays a part in it, but this is just a unique group. I mean, we lost a lot of offensive firepower and basically were starting from scratch. I’m just so proud of this group because I don’t think anybody gave us a chance of even being in this position.

 

“We just had to prove some people wrong, and I think we did.”

 

The winner of Friday’s game faces the Denver-Stanford winner on Sunday afternoon. Florida is 15-0 all-time against the field in the regional. Still, the Gators say they are not looking past anyone.

And if they do get behind, they won’t fret.

 

They know the drill.

 

“They have a no-give-up attitude,” O’Leary said. “I think that has really propelled us forward in a lot of games. I think it’s something where it doesn’t bother them. They just keep grinding back. They never look at a deficit that is too big and where we can’t come back.

 

“I think it gives me confidence.”

 

Monaco, a tough-minded player from Mount Laurel, New Jersey, might be the grittiest. She scored three of her five goals against Arizona State in the third quarter on Saturday, helping the Gators break open a close game.

 

The Gators’ goal on Friday is to get an early lead and take control. The same as always. And if that doesn’t happen, well, Monaco has been there, done that.

 

The message is always the same.

 

“If you get down, guess what? You’re going to get right back up, and we’re going to keep going and keep fighting, and we won’t stop until the very end of that whistle,” she said.