First Kennesaw State. Then Loyola.
Back-to-back postponed games left the Gators with a lot of downtime. But they didn’t have time to slack off and sulk over a tough loss to the fierce, all-American No. 1 North Carolina Tar Heels.
Training to maintain strong stick skills helped Florida secure its empathetic win over Kennesaw March 3. The Owls couldn’t stop the offensively powered Gators as they dominated 20-7.
Each player used the extra time between games to enhance their skills, head coach Amanda O’Leary said.
“I’m really proud of the fact that they are putting the time and effort in to get better,” she said. “The entire team from top to bottom has improved significantly from the start of the season.”
The Gators couldn’t hold full team practices the week before last, so they worked out individually, O’Leary said. The players conditioned and stayed sharp despite missing the team dynamic.
It has been a year since UF put a two-week halt on classes. But two weeks turned into a year of the pandemic. O’Leary said the new season brings new opportunities.
The orange and blue’s 6-2 season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I think everybody kind of walked away last year and it just felt like people were numb,” she said. “I don't know if you could really put [it] into words. “
Florida doesn’t return to Donald R. Dizney Stadium until March 26 when it takes on the Cincinnati Bearcats. The last time the Florida lacrosse team laced up at the ‘Diz was March 10, 2020.
“Being on the road is challenging, but you kind of have to look for the light at the end of the tunnel,” she said. “With each of these, we’re getting closer to our home games.”
With back-to-back games, the team appreciates a week off more than it did before, O’Leary said.
Florida took on the Stetson Hatters March 6 in DeLand, Florida, for the first time since 2014. The Gators blew out Stetson for a 23-1 win.
O’Leary said she noticed the team saw better offense and even defense since its game against UNC. The orange and blue drug the Hatters through the mud and overpowered them as sticks clashed in the draw circle.
“I would like to see us put a complete game together so that we’re seeing good things on both ends of the field consistently,” she said.
With 333 wins, O’Leary claims the fourth most wins of active Division I coaches.
She looks to stay in the win column Saturday versus Jacksonville with the opening draw set for 1 p.m.
Contact Karina Wilson at kwilson@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter @kk_rinaa
Karina Wilson is a second-year student at the University of Florida within the College of Journalism and Communications with a specialization in sports and media. She aims to produce engaging, accurate and current content for all types of sports fans. Currently, Karina is The Alligator's lacrosse beat writer.
