Halfway through the third quarter of Saturday’s match in Macon, Georgia, Florida lacrosse junior attacker Gianna Monaco had the ball in her stick just behind the goal. A defender was on her tight — which was not surprising, since she had already found the back of the net four times in the first half. She spun left, trying to find any space. Then, another defender picked her up.
What Monaco did next, however, would be her best move of the day. She ducked immediately before whirling around the defenders to find herself alone just outside of the crease. She lifted her stick and fired, burying her close-range shot just over the left shoulder of Mercer graduate student goalkeeper Kayla Casey.
Later in the third quarter, with just six seconds remaining, freshman attacker Clark Hamilton came through with a fancy finish of her own. She had already scored four goals, and the Gators had notched seven in the 15-minute frame. But Hamilton was not done, as she stormed past a defender and rifled her shot into the left side of the net as the clock expired.
Five goals apiece from Monaco and Hamilton sparked a Florida offensive onslaught, as the No. 6 Gators (6-2) stormed to a 22-9 victory over Mercer (3-5) to capture their third consecutive win. The 22 goals marked the most scored by Florida this season and equaled the fourth-most in program history. Alongside the two dynamic attackers, UF junior midfielder Kaitlyn Davies added three, while redshirt freshman attacker Frannie Hahn tallied a goal and two assists.
Florida’s sizable second half margin allowed head coach Amanda O’Leary to give plenty of opportunities to the back end of her roster. Notably, redshirt sophomore defender Colleen Ryan, who walked on at UF in the fall after previously attending Arizona State, scored her first collegiate goal in the third quarter. Freshman attacker Caylin Luciano followed with her first score as a Gator in the fourth quarter.
Florida dominated the draw circle all afternoon, winning 24 controls to Mercer’s nine. Six Gators had at least two draw controls, with freshmen midfielders Chiara Scichilone and Riley Zusi leading the way with four each. Defensively, the Gators also excelled, successfully completing all 13 of their clearing attempts.
In net, Florida graduate student goalkeeper Elyse Finnelle played the first half and the opening minute of the second, surrendering six goals and making three saves. Graduate student goalkeeper Georgia Hoey replaced her early in the second half, saving three while allowing only two goals. Freshman goalkeeper Susan Radebaugh played the final seven minutes of the bout, making one save and allowing one goal.
The Gators dominated the first quarter, outscoring the Bears 7-3. Monaco recorded a hat trick in the first 13 minutes alone, while both Davies and Hamilton scored twice each. Florida also controlled the draw in the opening quarter, winning seven controls to Mercer’s four.
The tempo of the game shifted completely in the second quarter, with both teams mustering only two scores each. Davies finished her hat trick when Frannie Hahn found her on a free-position attempt. Meanwhile, Finnelle made two big saves that kept the margin at four.
The third quarter brought numerous changes for the Gators as O’Leary rotated her lineup. In total, 27 of Florida’s 35 roster members appeared in the game. Both teams lit the lamp early in the second half, as Mercer’s Glus and UF’s Hamilton both finished off their hat tricks.
From there, however, it was all Florida. The Gators exploded for seven more goals in the third quarter while winning eight of nine draw controls. Hamilton found the net two more times in the frame, while Hoey shut the door on the Bears. In the fourth quarter, Florida’s control of the match continued, as UF outscored Mercer 5-3 while winning six draw controls.
Florida will remain in Macon, Georgia, to face No. 9 Clemson on Thursday 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.
