For the first time in seven years, the Seawolves are winners in Gainesville.

The No. 5 Stony Brook women’s lacrosse team beat No. 11 Florida 14-13 on March 5, breaking a four-game losing streak against the Gators (1-3). Midfielder Ellie Masera had four goals, an assist and seven draw controls, and attacker Kailyn Hart also had four goals.

Tied up at 11 heading into the fourth quarter, midfielder Siobhan Rafferty scored off a Masera assist to give Stony Brook (2-1) the lead. Hart notched the team’s second tie-breaking goal minutes later, and midfielder Clare Levy won two draw controls and picked up a ground ball in the final five minutes to seal the victory.

Stony Brook led by six goals during the second quarter, but a 9-3 Florida run necessitated the late-game heroics.

“It’s a great road win against a great team. Florida is a tough place to play and I am super proud of our squad,” head coach Joe Spallina said in a press release. “We showed great toughness being able to absorb a huge Florida run and respond in a big way. This is the type of win that helps galvanize a team and I’m happy they get to experience it. We have some things we need to clean up but there is only one way to gain bigger game pressure and it’s being in, and thriving in, those situations.”

The Seawolves entered the second quarter up 3-1 and capitalized on 10 Florida fouls in 10 minutes to seemingly put the game out of reach. Masera scored once on a free position attempt and accounted for another of Stony Brook’s four man-up goals in the quarter.

But Stony Brook got into foul trouble by committing five penalties in the closing minutes of the second quarter. Once up 8-2, that kickstarted a Florida rally during which the Gators converted eight of their 12 shots. Goalkeeper Charlie Campbell saved three of them and finished the game with eight saves.

Campbell also saved Florida’s first two shots of the fourth quarter, the latter of which set up Masera to drive across the field. 

Masera lobbed a short pass to Rafferty over the heads of two Florida defenders, and Rafferty placed a shot right below the top of the post to give Stony Brook a 12-11 lead.

Florida midfielder Emily Heller tied the game back up after a Masera turnover, one of 16 Stony Brook committed, but two more Gators fouls allowed Hart and Masera to score on free position shots and win the game.

The Seawolves improve to 2-7 all-time against the Gators. Stony Brook’s lone win against Florida before Saturday came in 2015.

Stony Brook will face an even tougher test at No. 6 Northwestern on March 10 before returning home to face No. 20 Johns Hopkins on Sunday.