In a matchup of two teams with four losses in American Lacrosse Conference play last season, Florida and Ohio State competed as if they were mad at somebody.
The squads combined for six yellow cards, 23 fouls and an ejection in the second half of the Gators’ 10-8 win at Dizney Stadium.
“Things might have gotten a little bit ugly, but even last year with them, too, it was kind of a neck-and-neck type game,” sophomore midfielder Kitty Cullen said. “We are just going to go at each other.”
Behind five goals by Cullen, No. 9 Florida (10-1, 1-0 ALC) jumped out on a 7-0 run in the first 25 minutes, but the Buckeyes (5-4, 0-1 ALC) answered with a five-goal rally to make it a 7-5 game two minutes into the second half.
That’s when play started to get chippy.
Ohio State defender Tayler Kuzma and midfielder Natasha Blackburn looked dead set on not letting Cullen score any more goals, utilizing a tough fouling strategy once the midfielder gained possession.
Kuzma and Blackburn combined for three yellow cards, all of which were committed while guarding Cullen.
Blackburn was eventually ejected following her second card after her stick struck UF’s midfielder in the face.
Although it cost the Buckeyes a player, the tactic proved effective later. Cullen scored just once in the second half and was issued a yellow card with 7:41 left after she thought she was fouled.
“You can’t play to the referees, but I thought the officiating was fair,” UF coach Amanda O’Leary said. “Both ways there was some aggressiveness and physicality that may not have been in our previous games … but the ultimate is coming out with the win today.”
Sophomore Ashley Bruns (one goal) would be carded seven seconds after Cullen, putting the Gators down two players for the next three minutes.
The Buckeyes ramped up the pressure with their player advantage but could only notch one goal for the rest of the game. That score came off a Florida turnover inside its 12-meter arc.
Ten seconds after the OSU goal, sophomore Jaime Reeg responded on a fast break to push the lead back to two.
Florida was then able to work the clock for the next four minutes, securing the victory and tying its conference win total from last season.
“They’re maturing,” O’Leary said. “I told them in the locker room that if this was last year, I don’t think we would’ve been able to pull out this victory.”
