Pirates Fall Short to No. 8 Florida in AAC Semifinal, 12-9

Thursday, May 4

Philadelphia, Pa.

7:15 P.M.

East Carolina University

10-8

Florida

15-3

ECU

Photo by: American Athletic Conference

Pirates Fall Short to No. 8 Florida in AAC Semifinal, 12-9

May 04, 2023 | Lacrosse

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – The East Carolina lacrosse team came up just short of a signature victory Thursday in the AAC Semifinal round against the No.-8 Florida Gators, 12-9. The Pirates were led by Camryn Pennypacker and Sophia LoCicero with two goals apiece as they led for much of the game before dropping the game by a narrow margin.

East Carolina (10-8, 3-3 AAC) was playing in just the second AAC Tournament game in program history as they qualified for the competition for the first time last season. The Pirates got off to a strong start as they led by a goal through both the first quarter and first half.

The strong play continued into the second half with ECU pushing the lead to two goals after three quarters of play. In the fourth quarter, however, Florida (15-3, 5-1 AAC) found a bit more offense, led by Emma LoPinto and Maggi Hall as they came back to take the lead with just under eight minutes to play en route to scoring the game's final five goals. It was the Gators' first lead since the 4:27 mark of the first quarter.

Still, in defeat the Pirates had plenty to be proud of. Brynn Knight made 10 saves – including some spectacular stops. Seven Pirates scored and the Pirates competed well on the draw as the team gave the eighth-ranked team in the nation – and a team which has won every contested AAC Championship – all they could handle.

The Pirates will enter next season still hunting a signature win, but the first one is always the hardest to get. This ECU lacrosse squad will break through sooner or later. They'll beat ranked opponents and compete for championships. The future is bright in Greenville and Thursday night was a sure sign of that.