BALTIMORE, Md. – The No. 5 Florida lacrosse team begins their 2025 campaign this Friday, as the Gators travel north to take on the 11th ranked Johns Hopkins Blue Jays at 11 a.m. This matchup is the first game of the 2025 NCAA Women's Lacrosse season.
The Gators hold a 7-1 record all-time in this series and have won seven consecutive matchups against the Blue Jays by an average of 5.6 goals per game. The two teams have not met since May 10, 2019, when Florida defeated Johns Hopkins 16-9 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Both teams competed in the American Lacrosse Conference (ALC) from 2010-2014.
New Look Gators
The Gators come into 2025 losing a total of 308 goals (76%) and 478 points (78.5%) of offensive production from their 2024 NCAA Final Four roster. UF lost eight starters, while bringing in 11 new freshmen and three transfers. Florida brings back four starters and 20 total players from last year's team.
Defense in Check
Florida's seventh ranked scoring defense in the country from 2024 remains heavily in-tact, as the Gators bring back junior starters
Theresa Bragg (24 ground balls, 16 caused turnovers), and
Kaitlyn Davies (13 ground balls, 15 draw controls) along with sophomore
Ashley Dyer (23 ground balls, 18 caused turnovers). While Davies plans to make the move back to midfield, Defensive Coordinator and Associate Head Coach
Regy Thorpe also brings back defenders
Sam Hughes and
Celeste Forte. UF held their opponent to under 10 goals 17 times a season ago.
Offensive Outlook
Gianna Monaco (30 goals, 10 assists) and
Josie Hahn (21 goals) return as Florida's leading scorers from a season ago, paired with
Ava Tighe (13 goals),
Gabbi Koury (11 goals) and
Cate Isaacson (10 goals) all returning as double-digit scorers.
The Gators will turn to a blend of youth and veteran newcomers to help put the ball in the back of the cage. Freshman
Clark Hamilton (No. 21 ranked freshman coming into 2025), graduate transfer
Jordan Basso (360 career points) and redshirt-freshman
Frannie Hahn will look to help UF maintain its spot as the No. 1 scoring offense in the country from 2024 (17.61 goals/game). Basso was a three-time Division lll First Team All-American selection during her time at Gettysburg College, tallying a point in all 74 career collegiate games (70 multi-point games).
Steady in Net
Florida brings back both goalkeepers from a season ago, in redshirt junior Elyse FInnelle (9-3 record, .529 save percentage) and graduate student
Georgia Hoey (11-0 record). With the addition of former Gators goalie
Haley Hicklen to the coaching staff, UF looks to remain a force in net (.519 team save percentage in 2024).
It All Starts with the Draw
After losing the programs all-time draw controls leader in
Liz Harrison (440 career draw controls), UF will turn to junior transfer draw specialist
Cali Bishop. The Louisville transfer tallied five games with two or more draw controls last season as a Cardinal.
Preseason Gator Accolades
Nike Lacrosse Third Team Media All-American –
Theresa Bragg
USA Lacrosse Magazine All-American Honorable Mention –
Theresa Bragg,
Kaitlyn Davies,
Elyse Finnelle
All-Big 12 Team –
Theresa Bragg (Preseason Defender of the Year),
Kaitlyn Davies (Preseason Midfielder of the Year),
Elyse Finnelle (Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year),
Ashley Dyer,
Ava Tighe
Outlook on the Blue Jays
The Johns Hopkins Blue Jays are coming off a 12-8 season in 2024, losing in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to Yale. The Blue Jays bring back their top-three leading scorers from last season in Ava Angelo (53 goals, 15 assists), Ashley Mackin (48 goals, 18 assists) and Case Campbell (32 goals, 16 assists). Angelo and Mackin were both voted USA Lacrosse Magazine Preseason All-Americans.
The Blue Jays lost Jennifer Barry (511 career draw controls) and Jordan Carr (56 ground balls, 52 caused turnovers) from a season ago. Johns Hopkins is coached by Tim McCormack who enters his third season in Baltimore. The Blue Jays have made six consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.
Active Streaks (five or more)
Jordan Basso: points (74), goals (8), assists (7), ground balls (6
)
Elyse Finnelle: saves (29)
Gianna Monaco: points (17)
Key Notes
- Florida owns a 9-6 record all-time in season openers, including winning six of their last seven
- The Gators own a 31-17 all-time record against current Big Ten teams
- This will be UF's first game at Johns Hopkins since 2014. They own a 2-0 record at Homewood Field, with both wins coming by one
- Former Gators midfielder Nicole Graziano is now the Associate Head Coach with Johns Hopkins. She played for UF from 2012-2016
- Coach Amanda O'Leary ranks third among active Division l coaches with 402 wins
- Florida brings in five freshman who ranked in the top 100 freshmen coming into 2025 with Clark Hamilton (No. 21), Gabby Greene (No. 35), Susan Radebaugh (No. 50), Chiara Scichilone (watch list) and Riley Zusi (watch list)
- Jordan Basso (Gettysburg), Cali Bishop (Louisville), Jenny Markey (Syracuse) highlight the Gators 2025 transfers
Watch No. 5 Florida take on No. 11 Johns Hopkins
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