Down 16-10 heading into the fourth quarter of Saturday morning’s matchup against James Madison, Florida lacrosse faced what seemed to be an insurmountable task.
The Dukes dominated the Gators in the first three quarters, as Florida struggled to gain any momentum.
The game seemed out of reach when JMU opened the fourth quarter with an early goal, extending its lead to seven. But then, everything changed. The Gators stormed back, netting six consecutive goals in a five-minute span to cut the deficit to one.
However, as the clock expired, the late surge fell short. The No. 18 Dukes (4-1) snuck past the No. 5 Gators (3-2) with a 17-16 victory in the Crown Lacrosse Classic in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Despite the loss, redshirt freshman attacker Frannie Hahn delivered a career-best performance.
She exploded for 10 points, scoring seven goals and recording three assists — far surpassing her previous career highs of two goals and four points.
Her 10-point performance tied for second all-time in single-game scoring in Gators history. The program record stands at 11 points, set by Sydney Pirreca in 2019 and Ashley Bruns in 2012.
Hahn played a crucial role in the fourth-quarter comeback attempt, scoring twice and assisting freshman attacker Clark Hamilton on two goals.
Hamilton was another standout performer, finishing with five goals. She now boasts three career hat tricks in just five games.
The Gators’ struggles, however, stemmed from issues in goal. UF rotated three goalkeepers throughout the match, beginning with graduate student Georgia Hoey, who was pulled after allowing four goals in the opening period.
Redshirt junior Elyse Finnelle replaced Hoey but was also subbed out midway through the third quarter after conceding 11 goals on 17 shots.
Freshman goalkeeper Susan Radebaugh took over for the final 21 minutes and helped fuel Florida’s comeback bid, allowing just two goals while making three saves in her second collegiate appearance.
James Madison found success offensively in spurts, netting at least three unanswered goals in each of the first three quarters.
Freshman attacker Olivia Matthews and junior attacker Maddie Epke both recorded hat tricks for the Dukes. Epke, who led JMU with four goals, also dominated the draw circle, securing 17 of the team’s 23 draw controls. UF notched just 11 draw controls in comparison.
Five other Dukes contributed at least two points, fueling JMU’s offensive onslaught.
The Dukes also benefited from a strong performance in net by senior goalkeeper Adanya Moyer, who saved 16 of UF’s 32 shots on goal.
Florida started aggressively on offense, outshooting JMU 10-6 in the first period. Hahn struck twice in the first quarter, including the game’s opening goal. JMU responded with four unanswered scores, but penalties allowed Florida to bounce back, capitalizing on two free-position opportunities. Hahn then secured her first career hat trick just over a minute into the second quarter.
From there, however, James Madison took control. The Dukes rattled off five consecutive goals and entered halftime with a 10-6 lead. JMU was clinical in the second quarter, landing all 12 of its shots on goal, six of which found the back of the net.
The halftime break did little to slow the Dukes’ momentum. JMU’s Matthews opened the second half with three straight goals. JMU outscored UF 6-4 in the third quarter and continued to dominate the draw, winning nine of the 11 controls in the period.
The fourth quarter opened with a goal from JMU junior midfielder Lauren Savage before the Gators erupted for six unanswered goals. However, Moyer stood tall in the final moments, denying shots from UF junior midfielder Kaitlyn Davies and junior attacker Gianna Monaco to seal the win for the Dukes.
Florida will now return to Gainesville to face Loyola (Maryland) at Donald R. Dizney Stadium on March 8 at noon.
Contact Max Bernstein at mbernstein@alligator.org. Follow him on X @maxbernstein23.
Max is in his fourth semester at The Alligator, and he is the Spring 2025 lacrosse reporter and a second-year journalism sports & media major. He is a big South Florida sports fan, and likes to go to concerts with his friends and family.
