The Florida lacrosse team’s season came to a close on Sunday in the Sweet Sixteen round of the NCAA Tournament.
The No. 11 Gators (15-6) fell to No. 2 North Carolina (16-3) 11-6 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, to bring an end to Florida’s 2015 campaign. The Gators were held to a season-low-tying six goals with just four players registering in the scoring column.
Florida’s season began on Feb. 7 in Gainesville with a highly anticipated matchup against the Tarheels. The Gators lost that game 17-11. Despite a strong year the rest of the way, Florida was ultimately unable to return the favor to UNC of winning on their opponents’ home field.
The Gators kept Sunday’s game competitive early, but were unable to keep up with the Tar Heels offense. UNC’s defense was stingy and didn’t allow Florida to get a lot of opportunities on goal.
Senior Shannon Gilroy scored two goals and had three draw controls in her final game as a Gator. Sophomore Mollie Stevens added another goal, bringing her consecutive goal-scoring streak to 25 games -- a program record that Stevens will look to improve upon next season.
This was the fifth consecutive season that Florida had made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Gators end the season as the eleventh-ranked team in the country, scoring 326 goals this season – the most in the nation.
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Shannon Gilroy runs toward the net during Florida's 12-11 loss to Stony Brook on March 17 at Donald R. Dizney Stadium. Gilroy scored two goals in Sunday's 11-6 loss to UNC.