Both teams were accustomed to success. Denver had advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament eight out of nine times, and Florida had never fallen in the first round.
That all changed on Friday night, when the Gators (15-3) fell to the Pioneers (15-3), 16-8, at Prentup Field in Boulder, Colorado. The loss marked Florida’s first-ever loss to Denver and the end of its season.
Some will blame the elevation. The Gators had to adjust from competing at sea level to competing at 5,430 feet above it, but that was not the problem. Florida was overwhelmed by Denver's zone defense, and its shots consistently failed to find the back of the net.
Entering the second frame of Friday's match, the Gators had scored four unanswered goals and led by three. It was looking like Florida’s game, but the momentum did not last. An unsafe pass by the Gators was intercepted and converted into a goal for Denver, as Florida began to crack. It was all downhill from there.
The Pioneers went on a three-goal run and tied the game 4-4. Florida sophomore attacker Clark Hamilton breathed some life into the team and responded with one goal to reclaim the lead.
Then, things got heated.
On a power-play for the Gators, junior midfielder Gabbi Koury snuck a shot past Denver’s goalie, sophomore Lexi Gwaku. No sooner did the ball touch the back of the net than the goal was waved off because Koury’s stick hit her defender's head as she was shooting. The call on the field was a dangerous follow-through, and Koury was issued a yellow card.
Florida head coach Amanda O’Leary asked to review the call, but it stood. Denver then had possession and a power play, allowing the Pioneers to tie the game once again.
Denver’s leading scorer, junior Olivia Ripple, scored her third goal on Florida’s All-American defender, senior Theresa Bragg, from the perimeter, but was met with a similar call to Koury. Bragg motioned to the officials and was clearly frustrated, leading to a review that revoked the point from the Pioneers.
But that did not stop Denver. They ended the frame by regaining the lead on a goal by freshman midfielder Karleigh Mutch.
From then on, the match belonged to Denver. It went on to score 10 more goals in the following two quarters and held Florida to three.
The Gators' loss came in part because of the amount of time they spent on the ground.
The Pioneers were aggressive in their defense, double-teaming anyone who posed a threat with the ball. Florida was cornered and often took shots while falling backwards or crumbling to the ground while attempting to clear a pass.
UF was also forced to the ground on offense, as the Pioneers were skilled at quickly cutting towards Florida defenders. This caused defenders to trip while running backwards, giving the Denver offense open shots at the cage.
It’s an issue that Florida has seen this season, but never with the frequency that it occurred Friday night.
It was an aggressive match on both ends that totaled nine cards. Denver received two yellow and one green, while Florida was met with two yellow and four green cards.
Another aspect that led to Florida’s demise was its inability to recover ground balls after its starting goalie, sophomore Susan Radebaugh, made saves. She totaled five saves in the match, and the Gators struggled to recover rebounds, presenting the Pioneers with second and third shot opportunities.
The Gators took 33 shots, 18 of them being on goal, but only eight made it past Gwaku.
The Denver sophomore made 10 saves and posted a 55.6% save percentage, showing exactly why she ranks second in the nation in save percentage
Of Denver’s 34 shots, 22 were on goal, and 16 made it past Radebaugh, allowing the Pioneers to outscore the No. 4 scoring offense in the nation by double.
Leading the charge was redshirt sophomore attacker Caroline Keil, who paced the Pioneers with five goals. For the Gators, Clark Hamilton led with two goals and two assists.
Florida will set its sights on the 2027 season, while Denver will face No. 8 seed Colorado (15-3) at 3 p.m. Sunday.
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.
