Florida lacrosse has faced a gauntlet in non-conference play to kick off its 2026 season. After four ranked games in which UF went 2-2, the Gators had one more tune-up game before their monumental clash against No. 1 North Carolina in Chapel Hill Tuesday.
The No. 12 Florida Gators lacrosse team opened their season with a 12-10 loss to No. 19 Michigan at home, so if the Gators wanted to secure a massive victory over No. 7 Clemson just two weeks later, Florida was going to have to bring their A-game to Milton, Georgia on Saturday.
The sun shined on the No. 12/10 Gators (1-1, 0-0 Big 12), as they traveled back home to Donald R. Disney Stadium to host an exhibition match against Scotland on Wednesday. Florida topped Scotland (1-1) 19-8, with elite performances by senior attacker Ava Tighe and sophomore midfielder Ryann Frechette each logging a team-leading four-goal haul.
Although the Gators were off to a strong start early in the first quarter Tuesday, Loyola (Maryland) quickly tied up the game at 3-apiece. However, the Gators did not falter, and one Gator made a major statement: Clark Hamilton.
Going into her last season as a Florida Gator, lacrosse captain Theresa Bragg has more than one reason for wanting to leave a legacy on the program she’s called home for the past three years.
Fresh off the heels of two consecutive Final Four appearances, hope was high for No. 4 Florida to start its season on a high note.
Florida lacrosse has achieved more in the last two years than any previous Gator team could. Last season, the Gators made history by securing their second consecutive Final Four finish, the third in program history, with the first being in 2012. This year, they are ready to go all the way.
Nearly two weeks after becoming one of the five Gators to receive USA Lacrosse Magazine Preseason First Team All-American Honors, Gianna Monaco decided to step away from Florida for personal reasons. She will not return to the program.
Florida lacrosse announced Lindsay Epstein as an assistant coach. The Marietta, Georgia native comes to Florida after three seasons as an assistant coach at Fairfield University.
When asked to describe Celeste Forte, Florida head coach Amanda O’Leary characterized her as a competitor, a hard worker and a great teammate and person.
Florida lacrosse added to its coaching staff Tuesday afternoon with the addition of a new assistant coach.
In the 2025 season, Florida lacrosse made its second consecutive Final Four appearance and finished with a 20-4 record.
Despite No. 4-seeded Florida grabbing an early lead, No. 1-seeded North Carolina scored 18 unanswered goals to defeat UF 20-4, ending the Gators' season.
The No. 4-seeded Florida Gators lacrosse team defeated the Duke Blue Devils 11-9 in the NCAA tournament quarterfinals Thursday evening, advancing to its second consecutive Final Four.
No. 4 Florida defeated No. 10 Stanford 13-12 in an overtime win Sunday afternoon. It's the second consecutive year the Gators have reached the Elite Eight.
Solutions by The State News
