Florida lacrosse senior attacker Liz Harrison didn’t score a single point in the 2024 season, but that didn’t stop her from making program history.
Where Harrison excels is in the draw circle. On May 16 in the NCAA Division I Tournament Quarterfinal matchup against No. 4 Maryland, Harrison stepped into the circle with the Gators holding a 5-0 lead.
When the ball went into the air following the draw, Harrison was surrounded by two Terrapins. She reached up her stick with her right hand and scooped the ball while seamlessly evading defenders.
That was just one of the hundreds of possession wins Harrison awarded UF in her career at Florida.
As the Gators’ draw control specialist, Harrison started in the center of the field in all of Florida’s 23 games during the 2024 season.
Harrison’s role as a draw control specialist is to win possession. An opposing draw control specialist pushes their stick against hers while a referee places the ball into the back of the head of their sticks. The purpose of the draw is to push the sticks together to launch the ball up into the air and take possession of it before the opposing team.
The senior attacker did her job among the best in the nation last season. She recorded the third most draw controls across NCAA DI Women’s Lacrosse with 230 possessions on the year.
Gators assistant coach Christina Esposito praised Harrison for her impact in the circle.
“Liz is a rare gem when it comes to the draw,” Esposito said. “She’s always focused on the details of her craft and puts the time and effort in to maximize her toolbox making her such a threat to play against.”
Harrison’s average of 10 draw controls per game ranked fourth in the nation in 2024.
Her strength earned her several honors this past season. Harrison was named to the 2024 Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Organization All-American Third Team while also a member of the 2024 All-Atlantic Coastal Conference Second Team.
Her skills didn't stop there. Harrison also excelled off the lacrosse field to be named to the 2024 SEC Academic Honor Roll.
“I feel like coming in, everyone wants to set records or make their name known,” Harrison said. “For it to actually happen and kind of follow your dream is something that’s really cool.”
However, her position on the field hasn’t always been a focus point.
Over the summer, the NCAA implemented new rules to make women’s lacrosse less physical. Green cards, or one-minute penalties, are given for contact such as holding, pushing, tripping and forcing. The new ruling makes it more difficult to cause turnovers, so the draw is now ever more important to gain possession.
For Harrison, the key to a good draw is keeping the ball close and adjusting to her opponent’s movements, she said.
Harrison also thrives when the ball is in the air. She’s shown great ability to extend toward balls that usually would be out of her reach. Her efforts to make high-level plays allow the Gators to gain extra possessions over their opponents.
On March 6 against UC Davis, she set a program record with 19 draw controls in a game. She later broke the program record for single-season draw controls March 23 against Old Dominion. Four days later in a game against Liberty, she broke the program record for all-time draw controls.
Harrison’s work in the circle also makes life easier for the rest of her team.
Graduate student midfielder Paisley Eagan said she’s happy the team has someone who is up for the challenge of taking the draw.
“She’s good at giving us directions and correcting things as she sees them,” Eagan said. “I’m really happy we have someone who’s up for the challenge and has done such a great job with it.”
Florida lacrosse exceeded all expectations in the 2024 season, going 20-3 and finishing the season as the No. 4 ranked team in the nation after a miraculous Final Four run.
Harrison ends her collegiate career with 440 total draw control wins, and she will now head into graduate school, remaining at UF as she works toward a master’s degree in marketing.
Contact Max Bernstein at mbernstein@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter @maxbernstein23.
