Game Notes

Last Week

The Diplomats will be playing back-to-back games for the second time in two weeks when they head to the Mustang Classic. F&M started last week with a 7-2 lead after the first quarter versus Roanoke and carried that to a 14-9 victory in front of its home crowd. Christian Sullivan and Tommy Garofalo each registered hat tricks during the victory, with Garofalo also assisting on a goal. Will Mulligan and Cullen Decker struck twice for goals, while Colin Hueston (1 g, 2 a) added three points to help pace the attack. Roanoke finished with a 45-42 edge in shots, but the Diplomats made 18 combined saves between Sage Garito and Eric Mueller while the Maroons stopped just nine Diplomat shots on goal.

Just one day later, the Diplomats were up 10-5 after the first half against Elizabethtown before the Blue Jays rallied for a 14-13 overtime victory. The loss marked the Diplomats' first defeat of the 2023 season after they had started 4-0. Tommy Garofalo and Christian Sullivan once again paced the attack with four and three goals, respectively. Will Mulligan, Will Mollihan, Liam Timmins, and Cullen Decker also had multiple points on the night. Franklin & Marshall's goalies combined for 17 saves on the night, compared just 11 from their counterpart. Sage Garito made 12 stops during the first half before Eric Mueller made five more during his 31-plus minutes in the crease.

Last Time vs. York (Pa.)

During the 2022 Mustang Classic, the then-No. 8 Franklin & Marshall men's lacrosse brought a six-game winning streak to Stevenson. However, No. 5 York (Pa.) ended that undefeated run with an 18-7 win. Kai Kelly led the attack with two goals and an assist, while Will Mollihan (1g, 2a) also had a three-point outing. A.J. Rigsby (two goals) and Will DeMuth (1g, 1a) added multiple points, but it was not enough to overcome an outstanding game from York's Will Harnick, who tallied six goals and two assists to pace the Spartans. York held the advantage in shots, 47-34, but 12 saves from the Spartan goalies prevented the Diplomats from tightening the gap on Friday night. Connor Helm won 10 of his 23 face-offs, with Adam Soper (2-for-4) and Peter Della-Volpe (1-for-1) aiding those efforts. The Diplomats were also very competive in ground ball situations, with York (Pa.) holding the slight 37-32 margin. Helm's effort at the X led to a team-best five ground balls.

Last Time vs. Lynchburg

During the 2020 meeting, then-No. 14 Lynchburg jumped out to an early 5-0 lead and never looked back, defeating then-No. Franklin & Marshall by a 19-10 score. One bright spot for the team was Kevin Mollihan who ended with three goals and an assist and reset the program goal record with 194 goals. Chris Mergardt '96 had held the record since 1996 with 192 goals.

York (Pa.) Preview

The Spartans are off to a 1-3 start, but don't let that record fool you as they have only played top 20 teams during their first four games of the 2023 season. Those losses have including an overtime defeat at Washington and Lee, a one goal defeat against No. 1 RIT and most recently a 14-10 setback against Salisbury. York's first win of the season came against then-No. 19 Ursinus by a dominant 21-10 score. Will Harnick leads the attack with 12 goals and is tied for the team lead in points with Ben Mayer (8 g, 6 a). The Spartans have been very strong at the X, with Vinny Facciponti winning 59.6 percent of his face-offs (59-of-99). In goal, York is stopping 52.6 percent of opponents' shots on goal as Ian Callinan has seen the bulk of the action.

Lynchburg Team Preview

The Hornets are 4-1 on the year as their only defeat came against No. 6 Salisbury in overtime. Lynchburg does currently own a 11-7 win over nationally-ranked Cabrini heading into more tests this week. In addition to closing a busy week with Franklin & Marshall, the Hornet will also play Tufts and St. Lawrence during a three-game week of nationally-competitive programs. Lynchburg is led offensively by Dylan Wolfe's 10 goals, while Jake Rust (11 goals), Carter Baez (10 goals), and Riley Mitchell (10 goals) also needing just five games to reach double figures. The Hornets will be another tough test at the X as they are currently winning 63.5 percent of their face-offs. Michael Kraus has seen most of the work on the restarts. Lynchburg;'s goalies have combined to stop 67.8 percent of the shots they are facing. 

Centennial Conference Leaders from Franklin & Marshall (Top 10)

Points
4. Tommy Garofalo - 26
7. Christian Sullivan  - 22

Goals
1. Tommy Garofalo - 24
4. Christian Sullivan - 18

Assists
4. Will Mollihan - 12
8. Colin Hueston - 8

Ground Balls
7. Christian Sullivan - 11
7. Liam Timmins - 11

Caused Turnovers
3. Kyle Craig - 11

Face-Off Percentage
4. Matthew Freeman - 67.4%

Goals Against Average
5. Sage Garito - 8.80
8. Eric Mueller - 9.73

Save Percentage
3. Eric Mueller - 59.3%
4. Sage Garito - 57.7%