Watch No. 4 Florida take on Mercer in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The fourth-seeded Florida lacrosse team (17-2, 5-0 Big 12) begins the postseason in the first round of the NCAA Tournament against Mercer (12-7, 7-1 Big South) on Friday at 4 p.m. The game will be followed by Denver vs. Stanford at 7 p.m.

The Gators are currently riding a 14-game winning streak, defeating Arizona State last Saturday in the Big 12 Championship by a 21-10 margin. Mercer has won nine-of-their-last 10 games, coming off a 16-8 victory over High Point in the Big South Championship last Sunday.

UF is 6-0 all-time against Mercer, outscoring the Bears 118-44 in those matchups. Florida defeated Mercer earlier this season on March 15 by a 22-9 margin in Macon, Ga. The Gators outscored the Bears 8-1 in the third quarter of that meeting.

The Gators are 3-0 all-time against Mercer at home and 2-0 against the Bears in NCAA Tournament play. Florida defeated Mercer 19-12 in 2022 and 23-5 in 2021, both in the first round. The Orange and Blue have outscored the Bears by a 12.7 margin in three career games at Donald R. Dizney Stadium.

Comeback Gators

The Gators trailed 4-1 in the Big 12 Tournament Championship, earning their eighth come from behind victory of the season. UF has trailed by three goals or more in five of those wins, including their largest comeback against Navy on March 12, where they trailed by four goals.

Undefeated in First Round of Play

Florida owns a 6-0 record all-time in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament, with an overall record of 16-13. In those six first round victories, the Gators have outscored their opponent by 8.67 goals per game.

Success Against the Region

Along with their 6-0 record all-time and 2-0 record in the NCAA Tournament against Mercer, Florida owns a 7-0 record all-time against Denver and a 2-0 record against Stanford.

50 Goals for the Freshman

Clark Hamilton has totaled 50 goals this season, becoming just the second freshman in program history to tally 50 or more goals in a season. The freshman has recorded 11 hat-tricks this season, including scoring five goals in the Big 12 Tournament Championship. Hamilton is one of three true freshmen in the country with 50 or more goals this season.

Frannie on the Brink of History

Redshirt Freshman Frannie Hahn has a team high 83 points this season on 30 goals and 53 assists. Hahn is just two assists away from breaking Maggi Hall’s single season assist record of 54. The Big 12 Freshman of the Year has recorded an assist in all 19 games this season, including 14 games with two or more. She previously tied the Florida game assist record with eight on March 12 against Navy.

Do It All Davies

Florida’s two-way midfielder Kaitlyn Davies is top-three on the team in goals (43), ground balls (26), caused turnovers (18) and draw controls (38). The junior is a Tewaaraton top-25 nominee and has logged eight hat-tricks on the season. Davies, who came in as a midfielder, played defense for Florida last season.

Gianna and Goals Go Along Well

Gators junior attacker Gianna Monaco is coming off a Big 12 Tournament in which she registered 11 goals and four assists, on .647 percent shooting. Monaco leads UF in goals with 62 this season on a team high 13 hat-tricks. She has 17 goals over her last four games.

Hitting Their Stride Come Crunch Time

The Gators have won five consecutive games and seven of their last eight by double digits. Over their last five games, the Orange and Blue have outscored the opponent 100-23, good for an average victory margin of 15.4 goals per game. Opposing teams are converting on just .242 percent of their shots against UF’s defense (23-for-95).  

Key Notes

• Jenny Markey has NCAA Tournament experience, totaling four points on three goals and an assist in the 2021 Final Four against Northwestern as a freshman
• The Gators rank fifth nationally in scoring offense (16.95 goals/game), eighth in scoring defense (8.95 goals/game), seventh in assists per game (8.32/assists per game), fourth in points per game (24.76 points/game), second in shot percentage (.498) and third in scoring margin (+8.00)
• Florida is 11-5 all-time at home in the NCAA Tournament
• Over the Gators 14 game winning streak, they have outscored the opponent by 9.79 goals per game
• This is the 14th NCAA Tournament appearance (14th consecutive) and 11th time hosting the first and second rounds

Active Streaks

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