Florida lacrosse’s 2026 season was defined by an aggressive transition offense, late comebacks and an inability to give up.
Though they aspired to participate in the national championship match, the Gators did not have the season they were expecting, by any means. Florida ultimately ended the season 15-4, 5-0 Big 12 and did not advance past the NCAA Tournament’s first round.
Regardless, the team’s newfound dynamic signals brighter days, and the athletes often spoke about the bond they share with their teammates.
UF became outright regular-season Big 12 champions when it defeated UC Davis for the second time in late April, but the Gators were upset by Colorado in the Big 12 Tournament championship on their home turf.
The loss marked Florida’s first in 12 games and its first in a conference championship since 2015.
UF lost its second consecutive match when it fell to Denver by double digits on Friday in the first round of the NCAA tournament. It was the first time in program history the Gators didn’t reach the second round of the tournament, and it was especially disappointing after having reached the Final Four the past two seasons.
One rival team Florida did not meet this season was the University of North Carolina. It fell to UNC during last year’s regular season and again in the NCAA Tournament semifinals as the Rameses went on to win the 2025 national title. The team's in-season match-up was scheduled for March 17 this year, but the Gators never got their shot at revenge as the game was postponed and never rescheduled.
One of the biggest areas of inconsistency this season was the goalie race. It appeared to be a revolving door with three goalies: graduate student Paige Crowther, sophomore Susan Radebaugh, and freshman Maya Soskin, all getting a chance in the cage at the start of the season.
Through the first few match-ups, it was looking like Soskin was going to get the starting job. But, when Radebaugh made 11 saves to lead the Gators to victory over Dartmouth in late March, she became the clear starter for the remainder of the season.
Freshman attacker Autumn Blair also had a breakout year. Following the Scotland exhibition match, she earned herself a spot as a starter. Blair was offensively productive in every game following the match-up against USF and tallied three hat tricks. She ended the season with 24 goals.
Joining her as a freshman standout was midfielder Caroline Hoskins, who started two games, tallying 19 goals and 12 assists. The pair is poised to be a strong duo in the coming seasons.
Sophomore attacker Clark Halilton led Florida in goals this season. She finished the year with 57 goals, beating her previous season record of 55 and tying the record for the fastest Gators to reach 100 career goals.
As for the veterans, senior Kaitlyn Davies cemented her reputation as the midfielder who could do it all. Davies tallied 31 goals and 10 assists, recovered 23 ground balls, and won 48 draw controls.
Senior defender Thersa Bragg remained Florida’s premier match-up defender and left her mark on the field through 21 recovered ground balls and 19 caused turnovers. Now, her sister Maria Bragg, a 5-star midfielder who will be joining the Gators 2027 roster, will look to carry the Bragg legacy
The Gators will now set their sights on the 2027 season as Amanda O’Leary enters her 18th season as head coach of Florida lacrosse.
Contact Coral Uzgiden at cuzgiden@alligator.org. Follow her on X @coraluzgiden.
Coral is a sophomore Sports Journalism student in her first semester with the Alligator covering Lacrosse. She also has experience writing for WRUF and covering beats such as high school football and Gators swim and dive. She is an intern for the Women of the Lowcountry and in her free time enjoys playing waterpolo, going to the gym and being outside.
