No. 3 Gators Embrace Challenge at No. 2 Syracuse
No. 3 Florida visits No. 2 Syracuse Tuesday at noon.
Photo By: Andy Mead
Monday, February 29, 2016

No. 3 Gators Embrace Challenge at No. 2 Syracuse

Kelly Reynolds
Tuesday's noon match up in the Carrier Dome features a top-five showdown between undefeateds No. 3 Florida and No. 2 Syracuse.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- After moving to an undefeated 4-0 Saturday with a 16-6 win against Dartmouth at home, the No. 3 Gators will quickly shift focus to yet another road test at No. 2 Syracuse Tuesday. The Gators and Orange will meet in a noon clash at the Carrier Dome on ESPN3 in a top-five showdown of the unbeatens. Syracuse enters Tuesday's game at 5-0 after downing No. 5 Northwestern Sunday at home, 16-12.
 
Florida will face its third ranked opponent in a span of five games and will look to make it 3-0 against top-20 foes this season after defeating then-No. 13 Loyola in its season opener and then-No. 2 North Carolina Feb. 20 in Chapel Hill. Of note, three of the seven meetings between the Gators and Orange have gone to double-overtime, including last year's decision that went the way of the Orange, 14-13, in Gainesville.
 
Florida and Syracuse share one common opponent this season in Loyola – both programs opened their respective seasons with the Greyhounds – the Gators with a 15-6 win, the Orange with a 17-6 victory. The Orange and Blue are 4-0 for the second time in UF's young history, the last time being 2013 when Florida went 13-0 before its first loss.
 
Saturday's win over the Dartmouth Big Green marked Florida head coach Amanda O'Leary's 100th win at the University of Florida. Three Gators netted three goals to lead the way in UF's most recent victory, including junior Mollie Stevens, who has three or more goals in all of Florida's games so far. Stevens is just seven goals shy of being the fifth Gator to ever hit 100 career goals; she extended her school-record streak to 29 games with at least one goal Saturday.
 
NO. 3 FLORIDA AT NO. 2 SYRACUSE BROADCAST INFORMATION
Syracuse Orange (March 1)
Time: 12 pm (ET)
Live Stream: ESPN3
Live Stats: Live Stats
 
NOTABLES
  • Last week was a big one for the Orange and Blue, as two Gators were named to the 2016 Tewaaraton Award Watch List, while freshman Sydney Pirreca and Mollie Stevens were honored for their contributions in Florida's big-time win over North Carolina
  • Familiar Faces: Gators first year assistant coach Becca Block is a Syracuse graduate, and was the IWLCA and BIG EAST Defender of the Year her senior season in 2013
  • Gator head coach Amanda O'Leary entered the 2016 season as the fifth winningest active Division I coach with her .737 winning percentage in 20 years as a head coach. O'Leary is now (262-92, .740) overall in her career and is the 17th winningest coach all-time in the history of NCAA women's lacrosse. She boasts a record of 100-27 (.787) all-time at the University of Florida after her milestone win against Dartmouth
  • Florida will be looking to start the season 5-0 against the Orange for just the second time in program history. Florida went 13-0 to start the 2013 season before its first loss
  • Pirrecas in their Prime: The Mount Sinai, N.Y., Pirreca sisters have been a 1-2 punch for the Gators offensively. After carrying Florida to victory against Michigan with a career-best four-goal splurge for BIG EAST Attacker of the Week honors for Shayna, Sydney turned it on with a career-best five-goal outing that was key in UF's victory at North Carolina. Sydney picked up BIG EAST Freshman of the Week honors, Inside Lacrosse National Rookie of the Week and Lacrosse Magazine Player of the Week accolades last week. Shayna and Sydney have combined for 16 of UF's 59 goals (27 percent) through four games. Shayna leads UF with 15 points -- nine goals & six assists -- in the span
  • Defense Doing Work: The Gators have scored a defensive goal in all four games this season, with junior Tewaaraton Award Watch List candidate Caroline Fitzgerald netting her third career goal Saturday against Dartmouth. Taylor Bresnahan had one goal each against Loyola and Michigan to get the streak started, while senior Sydney DuPre scored just her second career goal as a Gator at UNC
  • Granny Graz: Redshirt senior Nicole Graziano -- referred to as grandma by her teammates -- is the lone player on this year's squad who has the taste of a Final Four. Graziano was a freshman on the 2012 squad that played in the National Semifinals that year, and hit her stride Saturday against Dartmouth with a team-tying three goals, a team-best four points and four draw controls
  • Balanced Attack: While UF relied heavily on All-American Shannon Gilroy last season, UF has featured a balanced attack in 2016 with a different break out player in each game so far: Mollie Stevens vs. Loyola (5 goals), Shayna Pirreca vs. Michigan (4 goals), Sydney Pirreca vs. North Carolina (5 goals) and Nicole Graziano, Sammi Burgess and Stevens with three each against Dartmouth. In all, 15 different players have scored, nine of those players with multiple goals so far in 2016
  • Streaking: Florida junior Mollie Stevens boasts a program record 29-game streak scoring a goal. Stevens had a 25-game strand entering 2016 and put up a career-high five goals against Loyola, then followed with three each against Michigan, UNC and Dartmouth. Also of note, senior goalkeeper Mary-Sean Wilcox has had at least one save in 10 straight games
  • Fresh Faces: Florida boasts the nation's No. 4 recruiting class this season, which includes the No. 1 (Sydney Pirreca) and No. 2 (Lindsey Ronbeck) recruits in the country. Pirreca and Ronbeck accounted for seven of Florida's 16 goals against North Carolina and both made it back-to-back games with a goal as each scored Saturday against the Big Green
  • Defensive Dandies: Junior defenders and preseason All-American candidates Taylor Bresnahan and Caroline Fitzgerald anchor the Gator defense after playing a pivotal role in the UF's 12th-ranked scoring defense (8.00 gpg) last season. Florida will additionally rely heavily on senior captain Sydney DuPre on defense. Fitzgerald and middie Mollie Stevens were both named to the Tewaaraton Award Watch List Feb. 23
  • Top Notch Competition: Last Saturday's match-up with then-No. 2 North Carolina marked the second of seven nonconference games against teams ranked in the IWLCA top 20, which makes the clash with Syracuse UF's third of the campaign. Florida will also play No. 1 (Maryland), No. 10 (Stony Brook), No. 14 (Boston College) and No. 20 (Towson) between now and the middle of March. Of note, BIG EAST foe UConn entered the Feb. 22 IWLCA top-20 poll and now ranks No. 19, which would make eight ranked games for the Orange and Blue this season
 
UF | SYRACUSE SERIES HISTORY
  • Syracuse 2016 Record: 5-0
  • Series History: Syracuse leads, 5-2
  • Florida at > Home: 1-2 | Away: 0-2 | Neutral: 1-1
  • Last Time Out: March 10, 2015 at Gainesville | L, 14-13 (2OT)

UP NEXT
The Gators will split next weekend's two games, home and away. Florida will host Niagara Friday evening at 6:30 p.m. at Donald R. Dizney Stadium before hitting the road Saturday for another ranked match-up Sunday at Stony Brook.
 
Following Sunday's game against Stony Brook, the Orange and Blue will enjoy a nice five-game home stand in the Sunshine State.
 
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