Florida spent most of regulation either tied or playing from behind.
But that didn’t deter senior attacker Shayna Pirreca.
Just under a minute into the sudden-death overtime period, Pirreca ran the ball around the left side of the shooting cone and fired in a shot that slipped past Loyola goalie Kady Glynn.
Ballgame.
Gators coach Amanda O’Leary said that it was a situation the team had prepared for, and she knew she wanted to isolate Pirreca.
“We wanted to pull the trigger and see if it would work,” O’Leary said.
Florida’s improbable comeback against the Greyhounds culminated in a 17-16 victory at Donald R. Dizney Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
For the No. 4 Gators (2-1), the win over Loyola (0-2) provided the spark they were looking for in the first game of a stretch in which they play four matches in 11 days.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” Pirreca said. “I think it says a lot to our team and our mentality.”
Though it was a competitive game throughout, the Greyhounds controlled the first half, never trailing during the game’s opening 30 minutes of play. They led 8-7 at the break.
Loyola opened the second half with three straight goals, taking an 11-7 lead over Florida – its largest lead of the game.
However, the Gators answered with a four-goal run of their own, tying the game at 11.
Florida took the lead twice in the second half on goals from a pair of freshmen – midfielder Shannon Kavanagh and attacker Grace Haus. Kavanagh played the best game of her young career on Saturday, scoring four goals in the victory.
But UF couldn’t hold the leads it gained from those goals, and Loyola took a 16-14 lead with under 2:30 left in the game on a 3-0 run. The Gators found themselves in the same exact position last Saturday against Maryland, but the Terrapins were able to win the draw control and drain much of the clock in their win over Florida.
This time, however, a quick free-position goal from Lindsey Ronbeck, who scored four goals in the win, brought the Gators back within one.
Sophomore attacker Madisyn Kittell intercepted an errant pass from Loyola’s Katie Korvin but was immediately turned the ball over.
However, she stole yet another pass and snuck it in the goal before Glynn could react to tie the game.
Kittell caused three turnovers in the game, and UF caused 15 to the Greyhounds’ nine.
“When I went in, I did my part,” she said.
Pirreca’s goal in overtime sealed the Gators’ second win of the season, and second against teams ranked in the IWLCA poll, as Loyola is ranked No. 23 in that poll.
UF goalkeeper Haley Hicklen and Loyola’s Glynn each had a save percentage below 40%, with a .385 and a .370, respectively.
Freshman defender Sabrina Cristodero came up with a key play once again, winning the draw control in overtime that set up the game-winning goal – one of eight draw controls for her on the day – as well as causing two turnovers.
Florida doesn’t have much time to reflect on the thrilling victory over Loyola, as Jacksonville comes to town Wednesday night for the last game of the home stand before the team travels to take on a pair of top-10 teams in No. 8 North Carolina and No. 5 Syracuse.
But in the victory, the Gators learned how to overcome adversity and fight for 60 minutes – or in Saturday’s case, a little longer. It’s a lesson the team will carry as it enters one of the most difficult portions of the season.
“We pushed through onto the next play,” Shayna Pirreca said. “And that’s why I think we won today.”
Follow Tyler Nettuno on Twitter @TylerNettuno and contact him at tnettuno@alligator.org.
Attacker Shayna Pirreca scored the game-winning goal against Loyola on Sunday.
