NASHVILLE (JMU Athletics) – James Madison lacrosse fell to Florida 21-11 in the American Athletic Conference Championship title game at the Vanderbilt Soccer/Lacrosse Complex on Saturday afternoon.

The No. 2 seed Dukes moved to 13-5 on the season while the No. 1 seed Gators extended their win streak to 17 and improved to 17-2 overall.

Senior attackers Katelyn Morgan and Isabella Peterson each recorded hat tricks in the outing and sophomore attacker Maddie Epke tallied two goals, two assists and a team high seven draw controls.

The Dukes defensive side of the ball was led by freshman defender Ava Bleckley. Sophomore goalkeeper Caitlin Boden made eight saves on 28 shots faced, allowing 17 goals and posting a .320 save percentage.

Florida was led by Maggi Hall as she scored five goals and added two assists. Ashley Gonzalez tallied four goals and two assists while Emily Heller found the back of the net four times. Elyse Finnelle made 12 saves on 27 shots faced, allowing 11 goals and amassing a .522 save percentage. Liz Harrison collected a team high seven draw controls for the Gators.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter – Florida 5, James Madison 2
Heller struck first for Florida just 46 seconds into play and followed up with a free-position goal a few minutes after. The Dukes took advantage of a man-up opportunity with a Morgan goal, but the Gators responded with a goal from Gonzalez. Graduate student attacker Kacey Knobloch found the back of the net to bring JMU within one score of UF but Danielle Pavinelli and Paisley Eagan each scored to extend the Gators’ lead to three before the break.

Second Quarter – Florida 11, James Madison 8
Morgan scored her second of the day to open the quarter followed by Gonzalez’s second goal for the Gators. Epke notched two goals while assisting Peterson on a quick score to tie the game at six with 7:23 to play in the half. UF took the lead back with a rapid 3-0 scoring run to force a JMU timeout. Peterson scored on a free-position goal and sophomore midfielder Lauren Savage found the back of the net to bring the score back within one, but the Gators fired off two goals to end the frame.

Third Quarter – Florida 15, James Madison 9
Florida came out of the half strong, scoring four goals to the JMU’s one. Morgan notched a hat trick with the lone Dukes goal of the quarter.

Fourth Quarter – Florida 21, James Madison 11
Peterson recorded a hat trick with the first goal of the final frame. The Gators scored twice followed by a goal from sophomore midfielder Brianna Mennella. Florida rattled off four consecutive goals to seal the victory.

GAME NOTES
• Florida leads James Madison 4-2 in the all-time series.
• Epke’s two assists in the outing moved her into 19th in all-time assists in JMU history with 50.
• Knobloch is now 15th in all-time points in JMU history with 179.
• Boden’s eight saves make her tied with Emily Poelma (’17) for 19th in all-time saves in JMU history with 150.
UP NEXT
James Madison will learn its position in the NCAA Division I Women’s Lacrosse Championship on Sunday, May 5. The selection show will air on ESPN2 at 9 p.m. with the First Round set for Friday, May 10.

— JMU Athletics —