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GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The No. 4 Florida lacrosse team (19-2, 5-0 Big 12) looks to book its second straight ticket to the Final Four, as the Gators will host the No. 15 Duke Blue Devils (14-5, 6-3 ACC) in the NCAA Quarterfinals on Thursday at 2:30 p.m.

It is the ninth quarterfinals appearance in program history for the Gators, with it being their fourth time hosting this round and first time since 2014. UF owns a 2-6 record all-time in this round and a 1-2 record at home in the quarterfinals.

This is just the second career meeting between Florida and Duke, with the Blue Devils winning the only matchup by a score of 13-9 on May 21, 2011 in the NCAA Quarterfinals. That game took place in Gainesville, as Florida was the four-seed and Duke was the five-seed.

The Gators are coming off a thrilling 13-12 overtime victory over Stanford on Sunday afternoon. The game featured four total runs of 3-0 or more, as UF led by as many as three goals and trailed by as many as one. Kaitlyn Davies scored the game-winning goal in the second half of overtime, off the assist from Frannie Hahn to secure Florida’s fourth one-goal victory this season.

The unseeded Blue Devils come into this matchup after defeating Virginia by a score of 17-9 on Sunday afternoon. Duke defeated James Madison 17-10 in the first round and is seeking its first Final Four appearance since 2015.

Gators 2025 Stat Leaders

Points: Gianna Monaco (90)

Goals: Gianna Monaco (71)

Assists: Franie Hahn (58)

Shots: Gianna Monaco (142)

GBs: Ashley Dyer (38)

CTs: Theresa Bragg (29)

DCs: Cali Bishop (52)

Saves: Elyse Finnelle (95)

Save % : Elyse Finnelle/Georgia Hoey (.477)

 

Chance to Join Some Rare Territory

The Gators are seeking their third Final Four appearance, building off their trips to the semifinals in 2012 and 2024. With a win tomorrow, Florida would become just the sixth program with at least three Final Four appearances since 2012, joining Maryland, Northwestern, Boston College, Syracuse and North Carolina.

Davies in the Fourth Quarter = Clutch

Florida trailed 9-8 heading into the fourth quarter against Stanford on Sunday, before blitzing the Cardinal with a 4-0 run in the first 2:58 of the frame. Three of those goals were scored by Davies, to help give Florida a 12-9 lead in the fourth quarter.

Davies had similar heroics on March 26 against Penn, when she scored three fourth quarter goals, including the game tying free-position shot with 13 seconds remaining in regulation to send the game to overtime. The captain recorded five goals in both outings, matching her career high.

Forte Doing it on Both Ends

Defender Celeste Forte recorded a career high four caused turnovers on Sunday against Stanford, tying a UF record for most caused turnovers in an NCAA Tournament game (previously done three times).

Forte also tied a career high of three ground balls, while helping the Gators go 18-for-20 on clear attempts. The senior recorded her second career goal and first of the season on Friday against Mercer.

Gators Recent Success Against ACC in NCAA Tournament

Florida has won three consecutive NCAA Tournament games against ACC opponents, defeating UNC (first round) and Virginia (second round) in 2024, while beating Stanford (second round) on Sunday.

Monaco 70 Ball

Gianna Monaco logged her 70th goal of the season on Sunday, becoming the seventh player in program history to record a 70-goal season. The attacker has 14 hat-tricks this season and recorded a career high seven goals in the first round against Mercer. Monaco has 71 goals and 19 assists on the year.

Key Notes

• Florida is 3-7 all-time against the ACC in the NCAA Tournament
• The Gators own a 6-2 record this season against ranked opponents
• UF has nine come-from-behind victories and four one-goal wins (tied with Yale for most one-goal wins of teams left in the tournament)
• Florida owns a 13-5 record all-time at home in the NCAA Tournament
• Jordan Basso has five goals and four assists through the first two rounds of the tournament
• Gabbi Koury totaled a career best six draw controls on Sunday against Stanford
• Frannie Hahn (55) and Duke’s Eva Pronti (48) recently set the new season assists record in their respective programs
• The Gators are currently on a 16 game-winning streak, good for the second longest streak in program history

Active Streaks

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