No. 13 Dartmouth held a 16-game regular-season home streak coming into Saturday against No. 2 Florida.
After jumping out to an early 3-1 lead with 21:13 on the clock, the Big Green looked to extend that streak to 17 and gave the Gators their largest deficit since Feb. 9 at North Carolina.
But that was the biggest lead Dartmouth would see in the game.
Within two and a half minutes, the Gators tied the game 3-3. At the 12:40 mark, the Gators took a one-goal lead. UF closed the half on an 8-1 run.
Florida had done a good job of not relinquishing control of games once it gains momentum. Saturday was no different.
UF (9-0) continued its undefeated start to the season by topping Dartmouth (4-1) 14-9 on Scully Fahey Field in Hanover, N.H.
The Gators added on to their 8-1 run with two goals early in the second half to finish with a 10-1 stretch. Sophomore Shannon Gilroy credits runs like those to the coaching and momentum.
“Once you are able to get that first goal in the back of the net, we are able to work together as a team to keep that momentum going,” Gilroy said.
The sophomore finished the game with five goals. She leads the team with 27 on the season.
“She’s one of those scorers that are really hard to stop,” coach Amanda O’Leary said. “She’s got great size, she’s got a rocket of a shot, and she puts herself in a position to put the ball in the back of the net.”
Four of Gilroy’s five goals were assisted, as teammates found her in the middle by the goal. The other was from a free-position shot.
“People are just finding her on the inside, and she has just been capitalizing on those opportunities,” O’Leary said.
Fellow sophomore Nora Barry scored three goals on three shots. She has quietly been an offensive force, scoring 11 times on 14 shots with a shot percentage of .786.
Senior Kitty Cullen racked up two goals to extend her multi-goal streak to seven straight games. She also led the team with two assists on Saturday.
Shannon Gilroy fights for possession against Penn State on May 19, 2012. Gilroy scored five goals in Florida's 14-9 win against No. 13 Dartmouth on Saturday.
