From the first draw, it was clear that Florida’s game against Cornell would be a battle of defenses.
The Gators (6-3, 0-1 American Lacrosse Conference) stepped up to the challenge and held the Big Red (2-5, 1-1 Ivy League) to 15 shots, four free-position shots and one second-half goal for a 10-5 win on Wednesday in Gainesville.
Attacker Ashley Bruns led the Gators with three goals while midfielders Kitty Cullen and Caroline Chesterman each added two. Midfielder Colby Rhea had the team’s only assist.
Cornell struck early, taking a 1-0 lead on a second-chance goal less than two minutes into the game. Bruns responded with two scores, but the Gators’ lead was short-lived.
Libby Johnson tied the match with a score for the Big Red at 23:13 left, but Chesterman reclaimed the lead for UF a minute later.
“They are a great team and they have some prolific attackers,” UF coach Amanda O’Leary said. “So I was so pleased with our defense and the fact that we actually played as a team.”
Cullen scored the first goal of the second half by putting a move on defender Morgan Hale, causing her to fall and then putting the ball in the back of the net.
About two minutes later Cornell added its only score of the second half, but UF reeled off four straight to seal the victory.
UF goalkeeper Cara Canington said after a “sloppy” first half and allowing four goals, the team made its second-half expectations clear in the locker room at the break.
“In the locker room, we said, ‘Guys, one goal; that’s it,’” Canington said. “And to be able to accomplish that goal was kind of exciting but also kind of funny, because we were like, ‘Look, we did it.’”
The freshman has given up just 11 goals in the last three games, helping her team to a three-game winning streak.
O’Leary said in recent games her team was able to stick to the game plan of possessing the ball for most of the 60 minutes, but against the Big Red, it got away from that strategy.
“Their goalie made some great saves, so they took us out of our offensive rotation a little bit,” O’Leary said. “But we regrouped well in the second half and put the goals in the back of the net when they were necessary.”
