2025 NCAA WOMEN'S LACROSSE CHAMPIONSHIP

May 23, 2025

Amanda O'Leary

Georgia Hoey

Gillette Stadium

Florida Gators

Media Conference

North Carolina 20, Florida 4.

AMANDA O'LEARY: First off, congratulations to UNC. Phenomenal game. They played lights out. So really, just wishing them the very best moving forward. They, top to bottom, came out, had a solid game plan. We thought we had some options against them, but unfortunately we didn't. Again, congratulations to North Carolina and looking forward to seeing them play on Sunday.

Q. How do you describe the experience of coming in and trying to settle what was otherwise a pretty rough water, so to speak?

GEORGIA HOEY: I would say just knowing that my team has my back, going in there from the sideline, which was probably the hypest place on the field, they just fueled me, and I know they are looking to me to fuel that power, too, fuel that energy.

I just want to be a big energy piece. I want to try to be the shift in the momentum. That's what I'm really hoping to do, and that keeps me calm and that keeps me present. That's all. I really just look out for my team in that moment, and I know they have my back. It just keeps me there. Keeps me where my feet are.

Q. Seems like kind of second year in a row where Florida is obviously so strong but quietly gets its way back here again. What does it say about the growth of the program, the status of the program, and the legacy of the class that made it happen?

GEORGIA HOEY: I think that we all had the idea in our brains that we were going to be back here from the first whistle of the first game. This was our goal. This was our standard now.

I think that this doesn't define us at all, and honestly, I don't think that this was a quiet year on our side. We were fighting as hard as we could through those overtime games, through those one-goal games, and I think that was our grit. That was our big push. And we did deserve to get back here where we made it.

I think that now, this is the standard, like I just said. I think that this team will be back. Teams to come will be back. And now that we've kind of set that tone, I think it's going to be really fun to see where Florida goes from here.

Q. How do you describe what went right in the first quarter, particularly getting four goals from four different goals and getting saves on the defensive end. Things were going according to plan?

AMANDA O'LEARY: Yeah, I was really proud of the group the first quarter. We came out with a fire. We started getting draw controls, which are obviously so important. I thought we were sharing the ball well. Like you said, we came up with some big stops to get the opportunity to score.

Yeah, that first quarter we were cooking. We were definitely cooking. I can't say the same for the second, third and fourth. But yeah, that first quarter we felt really good.

Q. What looked different about UNC from the last time you saw them? Obviously, every team grows over the course of a season but what specifically might have jumped out to you?

AMANDA O'LEARY: Yeah, I mean, I think as an entire team, they grew tremendously. I think offensively, I think when we saw them in February, they were still a work-in-progress. They had some freshmen that were -- you know, they were great to come in, but I think to watch the Eliza, the Chloe, those guys come in and really make a mark. I think we have seen just tremendous growth from those young players, even like Kate came in.

Honestly, their freshmen just -- they just improved day in and day out and they improved game-in and game-out. I thought their goalie had a tremendous game. She's, I think, proven herself in the last -- you know, through this tournament, she's come up with some huge saves, some huge momentum saves.

And then defensively, I think what Carolina does is, they just put you on your heels. They put you on your heels from the moment you cross the 30-yard line, you'd better have a plan. I think they got us today in a number of those situations where we got the ball over the 30 and, you know, they just double teamed us. We turned the ball over. Sometimes, we turned it over in the midfield.

So you need to have a concise plan, but we also need to execute that plan, and they put you in a position where you'd better be darn well ready to make adjustments, and your team needs to make adjustments and you know I think that's -- that's their growth. They are the No. 1 team for a reason. They are pretty -- pretty impressive, obviously.