Florida Gators women's lacrosse
Encyclopedia
The Florida Gators women's lacrosse team represents the University of Florida
in the sport of college lacrosse
. The Gators compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) and the American Lacrosse Conference
(ALC). They play their home games in Donald R. Dizney Stadium on the university's Gainesville, Florida
campus, and are currently led by head coach Amanda O'Leary
. In the two-season history of the Gators women's lacrosse program, the team has won one ALC championship and advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2011 NCAA national championship tournament.
(UAA) quickly proceeded from new idea to reality in the creation of its newest sports program—it decided to create a women's lacrosse
program in 2005, publicly announced the new program in 2006, hired a head coach and joined a conference in 2007, and announced its first recruiting class and began construction of a dedicated lacrosse stadium in 2008. UAA officials selected women's lacrosse for its newest expansion sport because of the booming popularity of lacrosse at the high school level and the rapidly increasing competition available among Division I athletic programs.
Although the University of Florida is a long-time member of the Southeastern Conference
(SEC) for the other twenty NCAA sports in which it fields varsity teams, the Florida Gators women's lacrosse team competes in the American Lacrosse Conference (ALC). Among the other eleven SEC member schools, only Vanderbilt University
currently sponsors a varsity women's lacrosse team.
The inaugural Florida Gators team played teams from fellow ALC member schools Johns Hopkins
, Ohio State, Penn State, Vanderbilt and defending NCAA champion Northwestern
, as well as non-conference opponents Cornell, Georgetown
, Navy and New Hampshire during the spring 2010 semester. The Gators played their first regular season game on February 20, 2010, posting a 16–6 victory over the Jacksonville Dolphins. The young Gators finished their inaugural season 10–8, including ALC wins over Penn State and John Hopkins, and were ranked eighteenth in the country in LaxPower's final power ratings.
In only their second season of NCAA competition, the sixth-ranked Gators clinched their first ALC regular season championship by defeating the defending conference champion and second-ranked Northwestern Wildcats
13–11 on April 14, 2011. The Gators completed a perfect 5–0 ALC season three days later when they defeated the seventeenth-ranked Vanderbilt Commodores
8–7. The Northwestern Wildcats edged the Gators 10–9 in the ALC Tournament final, after the Gators defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes 16–13 in the semifinal round.
The Gators received their first NCAA Tournament bid, seeded fourth in the sixteen-team field on May 9, 2011, and defeated the Stanford Cardinal women's team 13–11 in the first round of the NCAA tournament five days later. The young Gators eventually fell to the veteran Duke Blue Devils
13—9 in the quarterfinals ("Elite Eight") of the 2011 NCAA Tournament, finishing their second season with an overall win-loss record of 16–4.
In advance of the spring 2012 season, Lacrosse Magazine ranked the Gators as the preseason No. 2 team in the nation.
as its inaugural head coach on June 22, 2007. Before she became Florida's first head coach, O'Leary served as the head coach at Yale University
for fourteen seasons, and was previously an assistant coach at the University of Maryland
and the University of Delaware
. As a collegiate player, O'Leary was honored as a two-time All-American midfielder at Temple University
, where she led her Temple Owls
team to an NCAA Championship in 1988.
Assistant coach Erica LaGrow is a second-year Gators assistant. She was a first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference
(ACC) midfielder for the North Carolina Tar Heels
, and graduated from the University of North Carolina in 2008. LaGrow currently plays for the U.S. Women's Elite Lacrosse team, and was a key player on the U.S. national team that defeated Australia in the gold medal game of the 2009 Federation of International Lacrosse
(FIL) Women's World Cup.
Assistant coach Caitlyn McFadden is a first-year Gators assistant. She played for the Maryland Terrapins
, and graduated from the University of Maryland in 2010 after leading the Terps to the 2010 NCAA Championship. McFadden was an IWLCA first-team All-American midfielder in her junior and senior seasons. As a senior, she was the recipient of the Tewaarton Award and Honda Sports Award
, and was named the ACC Player of the Year, the NCAA Tournament Most Valuable Player, and the IWLCA National Midfielder of the Year. The Maryland Terrapins sports program honored her with its Suzanne Tyler Award, given to the University of Maryland female athlete of the year.
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
in the sport of college lacrosse
Field lacrosse
Field lacrosse, sometimes referred to as the "fastest sport on two feet," is a full contact outdoor men's sport played with ten players on each team. The sport originated among Native Americans, and the modern rules of field lacrosse were initially codified by Canadian William George Beers in 1867....
. The Gators compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) and the American Lacrosse Conference
American Lacrosse Conference
The American Lacrosse Conference is a NCAA Division I women's lacrosse-only college athletic conference whose members are located in the Midwest, on the East Coast, and increasingly in the Southeastern states from Illinois to Florida....
(ALC). They play their home games in Donald R. Dizney Stadium on the university's Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
campus, and are currently led by head coach Amanda O'Leary
Amanda O'Leary
Amanda "Mandee" Moore O'Leary is an American college lacrosse coach and former player. O'Leary was an All-American lacrosse midfielder for the Temple Owls women's lacrosse team of Temple University, and she is a member of the US Lacrosse Hall of Fame...
. In the two-season history of the Gators women's lacrosse program, the team has won one ALC championship and advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2011 NCAA national championship tournament.
Background and overview
The University Athletic AssociationUniversity of Florida Athletic Association
The University Athletic Association, Inc. is a non-profit corporation that is responsible for maintaining the Florida Gators intercollegiate sports program of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida...
(UAA) quickly proceeded from new idea to reality in the creation of its newest sports program—it decided to create a women's lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
program in 2005, publicly announced the new program in 2006, hired a head coach and joined a conference in 2007, and announced its first recruiting class and began construction of a dedicated lacrosse stadium in 2008. UAA officials selected women's lacrosse for its newest expansion sport because of the booming popularity of lacrosse at the high school level and the rapidly increasing competition available among Division I athletic programs.
Although the University of Florida is a long-time member of the Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC) for the other twenty NCAA sports in which it fields varsity teams, the Florida Gators women's lacrosse team competes in the American Lacrosse Conference (ALC). Among the other eleven SEC member schools, only Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
currently sponsors a varsity women's lacrosse team.
The inaugural Florida Gators team played teams from fellow ALC member schools Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins Blue Jays women's lacrosse
The Johns Hopkins Blue Jays women's lacrosse team represents Johns Hopkins University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I women's college lacrosse competition...
, Ohio State, Penn State, Vanderbilt and defending NCAA champion Northwestern
Northwestern Wildcats women's lacrosse
The Northwestern Wildcats Women's Lacrosse Team is a NCAA Division I college lacrosse team representing Northwestern University as part of the American Lacrosse Conference. The team began competition at the varsity level in 1982, operated as a club sport from 1993 to 2001, and resumed play at the...
, as well as non-conference opponents Cornell, Georgetown
Georgetown Hoyas women's lacrosse
The Georgetown Hoyas women's lacrosse team competes in the NCAA Big East, a Division 1-A Conference. The first team was formed in 1977.-Current Team:The current Head Coach is Ricky Freid, who took over after Kim Simons retired following the 2004 season...
, Navy and New Hampshire during the spring 2010 semester. The Gators played their first regular season game on February 20, 2010, posting a 16–6 victory over the Jacksonville Dolphins. The young Gators finished their inaugural season 10–8, including ALC wins over Penn State and John Hopkins, and were ranked eighteenth in the country in LaxPower's final power ratings.
In only their second season of NCAA competition, the sixth-ranked Gators clinched their first ALC regular season championship by defeating the defending conference champion and second-ranked Northwestern Wildcats
Northwestern Wildcats
The Northwestern Wildcats are the athletic teams that represent Northwestern University, a founding member of the Big Ten Conference and the only private university in the conference. Northwestern has eight men's and eleven women's Division I sports teams. The mascot is Willie the Wildcat...
13–11 on April 14, 2011. The Gators completed a perfect 5–0 ALC season three days later when they defeated the seventeenth-ranked Vanderbilt Commodores
Vanderbilt Commodores
The Vanderbilt Commodores are the NCAA athletic teams of Vanderbilt University, located in Nashville, Tennessee. The university fields 16 varsity teams , 14 of which compete in the Southeastern Conference...
8–7. The Northwestern Wildcats edged the Gators 10–9 in the ALC Tournament final, after the Gators defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes 16–13 in the semifinal round.
The Gators received their first NCAA Tournament bid, seeded fourth in the sixteen-team field on May 9, 2011, and defeated the Stanford Cardinal women's team 13–11 in the first round of the NCAA tournament five days later. The young Gators eventually fell to the veteran Duke Blue Devils
Duke Blue Devils
Duke University's 26 varsity sports teams, known as the Blue Devils, compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The name comes from the French "les Diables Bleus" or "the Blue Devils," which was the nickname given during World War I to the Chasseurs Alpins, the French Alpine light infantry...
13—9 in the quarterfinals ("Elite Eight") of the 2011 NCAA Tournament, finishing their second season with an overall win-loss record of 16–4.
In advance of the spring 2012 season, Lacrosse Magazine ranked the Gators as the preseason No. 2 team in the nation.
Coaching staff
Florida named Amanda O'LearyAmanda O'Leary
Amanda "Mandee" Moore O'Leary is an American college lacrosse coach and former player. O'Leary was an All-American lacrosse midfielder for the Temple Owls women's lacrosse team of Temple University, and she is a member of the US Lacrosse Hall of Fame...
as its inaugural head coach on June 22, 2007. Before she became Florida's first head coach, O'Leary served as the head coach at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
for fourteen seasons, and was previously an assistant coach at the University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
and the University of Delaware
University of Delaware
The university is organized into seven colleges:* College of Agriculture and Natural Resources* College of Arts and Sciences* Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics* College of Earth, Ocean and Environment* College of Education and Human Development...
. As a collegiate player, O'Leary was honored as a two-time All-American midfielder at Temple University
Temple University
Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
, where she led her Temple Owls
Temple Owls
Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has a very long-running athletic program. The school's sports teams are called the Owls, originating from the university's early days as a night school. The current athletic director is Bill Bradshaw....
team to an NCAA Championship in 1988.
Assistant coach Erica LaGrow is a second-year Gators assistant. She was a first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
(ACC) midfielder for the North Carolina Tar Heels
North Carolina Tar Heels
The North Carolina Tar Heels are the athletic teams for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The name Tar Heel is a nickname used to refer to individuals from the state of North Carolina, the Tar Heel State...
, and graduated from the University of North Carolina in 2008. LaGrow currently plays for the U.S. Women's Elite Lacrosse team, and was a key player on the U.S. national team that defeated Australia in the gold medal game of the 2009 Federation of International Lacrosse
Federation of International Lacrosse
The Federation of International Lacrosse, shortened to FIL, was established in August 2008 in a merger of both the men's and women's international lacrosse associations. It's located in Wilmington, Delaware in United States...
(FIL) Women's World Cup.
Assistant coach Caitlyn McFadden is a first-year Gators assistant. She played for the Maryland Terrapins
Maryland Terrapins
The Maryland Terrapins, commonly referred to as the Terps, consist of 27 men's and women's athletic teams that represent the University of Maryland, College Park in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I competition...
, and graduated from the University of Maryland in 2010 after leading the Terps to the 2010 NCAA Championship. McFadden was an IWLCA first-team All-American midfielder in her junior and senior seasons. As a senior, she was the recipient of the Tewaarton Award and Honda Sports Award
Honda Sports Award
The Honda Sports Award is an annual award in the United States of America, given to the best collegiate female athlete in each of twelve sports. There are four nominees for each sport, and the twelve winners of the Honda Award are automatically in the running for the Honda-Broderick Cup award, as...
, and was named the ACC Player of the Year, the NCAA Tournament Most Valuable Player, and the IWLCA National Midfielder of the Year. The Maryland Terrapins sports program honored her with its Suzanne Tyler Award, given to the University of Maryland female athlete of the year.
Building the future
The first Gators recruiting class of twenty-four players included seven US Lacrosse first-team high school All-Americans—Caroline Chesterman, Katie Ciaci, Brittany Dashiell, Samantha Farrell, Janine Hiller, Jamie Reeg and Julie Schindel, and US Lacrosse named another five as All-American Honorable Mentions—Ashley Bruns, Lelan Bailey, Jenna Hildebrand, Hayley Katzenberger and Mikey Meagher. Dashiell, Bruns and Farrell, plus Kitty Cullen, Colby Rhea and Haydon Judge, were also named Under Armour All-Americans. Amanda Wedekind was previously named an Under Armour All-American as a rising sophomore in 2006. The Gators' 2009–2010 recruiting class was rated best in the nation.Donald R. Dizney Stadium
Completed during the summer of 2009, Donald R. Dizney Stadium hosts the Gators women's lacrosse team. The facility includes a 1,500-seat stadium that runs the length of the game field. The $15 million construction cost was funded entirely by private donors. The facility also includes a second practice field, concessions stands, locker rooms, a training room, and other amenities. At the Gators' first home game, an overflow crowd of 2,214 was present in Dizney Stadium for the Gators' 16–6 win over the Jacksonville Dolphins.See also
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- History of the University of FloridaHistory of the University of FloridaThe history of the University of Florida is firmly tied to the history of public education in the state of Florida. The University of Florida, colloquially known as "Florida" or "UF," originated as several distinct institutions that were merged to create a single state-supported university by the...
- List of University of Florida buildings
- University Athletic AssociationUniversity of Florida Athletic AssociationThe University Athletic Association, Inc. is a non-profit corporation that is responsible for maintaining the Florida Gators intercollegiate sports program of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida...
- Women's lacrosseWomen's lacrosseWomen's lacrosse, sometimes shortened to wlax or lax, is a sport played with twelve players on each team. Originally played by the indigenous peoples of the Americas, the first tribe to play it was the Hauser tribe, of the Great Plains. The modern women's game was introduced in 1890 at the St...
External links
- American Lacrosse Conference – Official website of the American Lacrosse Conference.
- GatorSports.com – Florida Gators women's lacrosse news from The Gainesville Sun.
- GatorZone.com – Official webpage of the Florida Gators women's lacrosse team.