Supported by a home crowd Wednesday afternoon as Florida took on the South Florida Bulls for the second time in program history, Clark Hamilton decided to make some history of her own.
With 13:29 to go in the fourth quarter, the sophomore attacker drilled her 100th-career goal, tying the UF record for the fastest Gator in program history to reach the mark.
On the career day, she dominated the field all afternoon, finishing with five goals and earning a hat trick just after the start of the second quarter.
Behind Hamilton, Florida lacrosse (10-2) extended its winning streak to seven games Wednesday afternoon after a 14-8 victory over USF (8-4) at Donald R. Dizney Stadium.
However, she wasn’t the only Gator to shine. Take away her five goals, and Florida would have still secured the win.
Florida sophomore attacker Frannie Hahn also left her mark, earning herself two goals and five assists in a well-rounded performance.
“Really proud of Franny,” said Florida head coach Amanda O’Leary, “We've been waiting for a game like this, because we knew she had it in her, and she's so consistent for us, really quarterbacks that whole offense, and it was fun to see her have a breakout game today.”
Behind efforts from some key players and riding the momentum from a 9-7 win against Colorado that lifted the Gators 2-0 in the Big 12 conference, Florida stayed hot.
USF also entered the game coming off success, clinching a double overtime win over Liberty on April 2. Junior attacker Sofia Chepenik and senior attacker Maggie Newton, key players for the Bulls, produced another strong game, each posting one point against Florida.
However, the shining star for the Bulls was senior attacker Elise Grissett – their only player with a hat trick in the game.
The first quarter featured scoring from both teams, while the other was quick to respond. Hamilton began the contest for Florida, putting the Gators up 1-0. Under 20 seconds later, Newton answered for USF, making it 1-1. The first quarter concluded with UF up 3-2.
In the second quarter, Florida gained more momentum, scoring and maintaining offensive control. Hamilton reached her hat trick, and UF was gaining some speed after a slow start.
O’Leary said she would have liked to see her team take better advantage of opportunities and cut out repetitive mistakes.
“I don't think we kept the ball moving very quickly in the first half, we kind of just kind of died in our sticks,” she said. “I thought we had some good opportunities, but just weren't able to execute.”
Returning from halftime, the Bulls charged out of the gates, putting pressure on UF. A period that started 7-5 with the Gators ahead shifted to a 7-7 game with the efforts of USF’s Grissett.
The Bulls were searching for a lead they had not seen since the first quarter – one they never found.
The Gators dominated for the remainder of the game and never looked back. The fourth quarter saw four goals from the Gators and one from the Bulls. UF finished 14-8, almost doubling USF’s score.
“They fight back, and they never give up,” O’Leary said. “And even when things weren't going in our favor, I thought that we saw some players step up, make big plays.”
The Gators will return to action on the road Saturday against San Diego State at 1 p.m.
Contact Nicole Scura at nscura@alligator.org. Follow her on X @NicoleScuraa.
Nicole is a sophomore journalism student in her first semester with the Alligator and she is the beat reporter for the University of Florida Ice Hockey Club. In her free time, Nicole enjoys figure skating, watching football (Go Bucs!), traveling and linedancing.
