The first half between the Florida women’s lacrosse team and Temple went back and forth, with the Gators holding a 6-5 lead heading into the break.
Owls midfielder Bridget Whitaker tied the game less than two minutes into the second half, but that did not swing the momentum.
UF held Temple scoreless for the next 20 minutes and recorded nine consecutive goals on its way to a 15-8 victory on Saturday, giving Florida its first conference win of the season.
The Gators (6-6, 1-0 American) went on a 9-0 run by:
Controlling the draw
Florida controlled eight out of the 10 draws that took place during its 9-0 run in the second half.
Sophomore midfielder Shannon Kavanagh, UF’s primary draw taker, won three draw controls in that span.
Junior midfielder Brianna Harris and sophomore defender Sabrina Cristodero followed with two draw controls apiece, while junior defender Cara Trombetta had one.
Four of those eight draw controls led directly to goals for the Gators — all of which were scored in 45 seconds or less.
The other four draw controls resulted in three turnovers and a successful Temple clearance, but Florida regained possession of the ball and scored each time.
Disciplined goalkeeping
Senior goalkeeper Haley Hicklen was at fault for the Owls’ first goal of the game.
She left her cage to chase a ball that had gone behind her net and out of bounds.
Possession was awarded to Temple and Whitaker reacted quickly, putting the ball back in play while Hicklen was out of her net.
Whitaker found midfielder Jen Rodzewich near the top of the crease, and Rodzewich fired a shot past the outstretched arm of Hicklen.
However, the AAC Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year redeemed herself in the second half.
She posted three saves during UF’s 9-0 run to keep the Owls off the board for nearly 20 minutes.
Hicklen’s 12 saves against Temple were her third-most this season, and her .632 save percentage was her second-best.
The Gators allowed only eight goals on Saturday, their second-lowest total of the season.
Sharing the ball
Florida’s nine goals in its run were scored by seven different players.
Sophomore attacker Grace Haus led the way with three, while six other players, including freshman attacker Hannah Mardiney, notched one.
Mardiney had not scored in three straight games, but her goal at the 12:04 mark of the second half was her second of the day against the Owls.
Senior attacker Lindsey Ronbeck also scored during the Gators’ 9-0 run.
The AAC Preseason Attacker of the Year has scored at least one goal in 23 straight games, the third-best mark in program history.
Follow Bryan Matamoros on Twitter @bmatamoros_ and contact him at bmatamoros@alligator.org.
Attacker Lindsey Ronbeck scored three goals in Florida’s win over Temple on Saturday.
