PHILADELPHIA – Florida goalie Sarah Reznick made 10 saves and helped to limit James Madison to two second-half goals as the Gators claimed their fourth consecutive American Athletic Conference title Saturday with a 9-8 win at Howarth Field.
 
The Gators (16-3), who are ranked No. 8 nationally, earned The American's automatic bid to the 2023 NCAA Championship and won their ninth consecutive conference tournament title, spanning three conferences. Florida snapped James Madison's 17-game winning streak, handing the Dukes their first loss since the Feb. 11 season-opener against North Carolina.
 
Reznick, The American's three-time Goalkeeper of the Year, was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player as she made six of her 10 stops in the second half in a game that saw neither team lead by more than a goal after the first quarter. She denied Taylor Marchetti's shot from the right side with 21 seconds left to preserve the win after the Dukes gained possession in the final minute.
 
James Madison, ranked No. 6 nationally, had taken an 8-7 lead into the fourth quarter on Lizzy Fox's goal with 51 seconds left in the third. But the Gators had the only scoring of the fourth period as Emma LoPinto tucked in a crease roll with 12:26 left to tie the game at 8-8 before Madison Waters put home a feed from Maggi Hall with 10:43 left for a woman-up goal that stood up as the gamewinner.
 
Florida's defense clamped down from there. Reznick made four saves in the fourth quarter, while defender Becky Browndorf caused two key turnovers on JMU offensive sets in the final 4:02.
 
Isabella Peterson, the American's leading scorer, had four of James Madison's eight goals, each of which either tied the score or gave the Dukes a lead. She had a hat trick in the first half and added her 78th of the season in the third quarter to forge a 7-7 tie.
 
Danielle Pavinelli had three goals and an assist for Florida, while Waters and LoPinto aded two goals each. Hall, who figured in eight goals (3g, 5a) in the Gators' semifinal win against East Carolina, had a goal and three assists in the final. Pavinelli, Hall, Waters and LoPinto joined Reznick and Browndorf on the all-tournament team.
 
James Madison had four players selected to the all-tournament team as Peterson joined goalie Kat Buchanan, midfielder Maggie Clark and defender Mairead Durkin. Buchanan made seven saves and had three ground balls for the Dukes.
 
 
2023 AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE WOMEN’S LACROSSE CHAMPIONSHIP
Howarth Field | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
 
Semifinals | Thursday, May 4                                         
No. 1 James Madison 13, No. 4 Cincinnati 7              
No. 2 Florida 12, No. 3 East Carolina 9                         
                                                                                                          
Final | Saturday, May 6                                                      
Florida 9, James Madison 8
 
All-Tournament Team
Ava Goeller, M, Cincinnati
Brynn Knight, G, East Carolina
Becky Browndorf, D, Florida
Maggi Hall, A, Florida
Emma LoPinto, A, Florida
Danielle Pavinelli, A, Florida
Sarah Reznick, G, Florida
Madison Waters, M, Florida
Kat Buchanan, G, James Madison
Maggie Clark, M, James Madison
Mairead Durkin, D, James Madison
Isabella Peterson, A, James Madison
 
Most Outstanding Player
Sarah Reznick, G, Florida