Opponent Preview: What to know about No. 6 seed Florida

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After a second-round offensive onslaught win over Loyola Maryland in the NCAA Tournament, No. 3 seed Syracuse (15-3, 8-2 Atlantic Coast) face No. 6 seed Florida (18-2, 10-0 American Athletic) in Syracuse for the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals on Saturday.

Here’s what you need to know about the Gators:

All-time series:

Syracuse leads 7-4.

Last time they played

Syracuse last faced Florida in Gainesville 2019. During that time the Orange’s starting attack was led by Emily Hawryschuk. After the Gators scored within the first two minutes of the matchup, Syracuse went on a 7-0 run, which gave the Orange a lead they would not relinquish.

At the time, Hawryschuk and Meaghan Tyrrell were the young stars for Syracuse, contributing alongside veterans like Nicole Levy. Tyrrell and Hawryschuk finished with nine combined points, and Sam Swart, who was a sophomore in that game, recorded two. Florida mounted a comeback, but the Orange were able to maintain their lead and win, 14-13.

The Florida report

This season, Florida is one of the best offensive teams in the country. Currently, the Gators are the third-best scoring offense nationally, averaging 17.2 goals per game. However, offensive dominance is normal for the Gators, as they play in the AAC where they went undefeated this year. Florida has only two losses this season, one against No. 1 North Carolina, and another upset by Jacksonville on March 13.

Since the Gators lost to Jacksonville, they haven’t lost a game. Florida even got its revenge on the Dolphins with a 17-3 beatdown in the first-round of the NCAA Tournament. After the loss, Florida has not let a team score more than nine goals. The Gators have the second-best scoring defense in the country, only allowing 6.5 scores per game.

How Syracuse beats Florida

Florida is well-balanced on offense and defense, which has dominated teams in the AAC throughout the season. But against high-powered offenses like UNC, the Gators were unable to find an answer. Syracuse needs to make sure that it’s able to run its motion offense and open up holes in the Gators defense. If the Orange mimic what the Tar Heels do to defeat Florida, SU has a chance to wreak havoc on Saturday.

Defensively, Syracuse will be able to find success, depending on the in-game adjustments that head coach Gary Gait and assistant coach Caitlin Defliese make to SU’s defense. The Orange are known to change from a zone into a woman-to-woman look if one or the other is not working. Since Syracuse hasn’t played against the Gators since 2019, the Orange have to be flexible throughout the game and make the changes necessary in order to win.

Stat to know: 56.2%

Florida scores on 56.2% of its free position shots, something that the Orange and Asa Goldstock have had trouble with guarding against in the past. Syracuse’s defense is set up in a way to completely confuse opposing offenses for the majority of the time they are in the 8-meter, but the Orange haven’t found an answer to defend the free position. The Gators have had more shots at the free position (153) than any other team in the country. But because Florida is so good at scoring from anywhere on the field, it is still the third-best on free position shots nationally.

Player to watch: Shannon Kavanagh, No. 17, Midfield

Kavanagh leads Florida with 76 goals this season, a statistic that is tied for fourth-most in the country. But Kavanagh’s impact does not just come in the 8-meter, she is one of the Gators’ main contributors in the draw circle as well. In Florida’s first-round win over Mercer, Kavanagh dominated with 16 draw controls, five goals and two assists. Kavanagh is the catalyst in the Gators offense, and if the Orange contain her they will head to the Final Four in Towson.