Game Notes

Last Week

Franklin & Marshall took a huge step towards a Centennial Conference Tournament bid when it defeated Washington College by a 13-11 score on the road. F&M never trailed during the road battle as WAC only managed to tie the game at five midway through the second quarter. Liam Timmins led the Diplomats with four points (3g, 1a), while Christian Sullivan, Will Mollihan, and Tommy Garofalo each tallied two goals. Eight different players in total contributed goals to the balanced team effort which additionally saw Sage Garito and Eric Mueller combine to stop 17 of the Shoremen's 28 shots on goal. The play of F&M's goalies really flipped the play in the Diplomats' favor as Garito picked up the win while making nine saves before Mueller added eight more during the second half. Together, that duo combined for a 60 percent-plus save percentage, while the Shoremen stopped less than 50 percent of F&M's efficient shooting performance.

The battle for the No. 4 seed in Centennial Conference Tournament was on the line when F&M met Muhlenberg last Saturday during Senior Day. Unfortunately, the Mules spoiled the festivities with a 13-7 victory over the Diplomats. Prior the game, the Diplomats honored the eight members of their senior class. Christian Sullivan finished with a hat trick, while Will Mollihan, Kai Kelly, Tommy Garofalo, and Cullen Decker also found the back of the cage. Ethan Grossman led the Mules with three goals and three assists in a battle of the fourth and fifth place teams in the Centennial Conference standings. Adam Soper's big day at the X led to a team-high seven ground balls, with Pierce Archer and Kyle Craig added four more throughout the Centennial Conference contest. Eric Mueller played just over 40 minutes and made six saves, with Sage Garito adding three more during his start.

Last Time vs. McDaniel

The Diplomats will close the 2023 regular season at McDaniel, but these two sides played in the conference opener during the 2022 season. The then-No. 9 Diplomats doubled up McDaniel, 16-8, inside Shadek Stadium. The Diplomats led wire-to-wire but it was a 7-1 third quarter advantage where the Diplomats took complete control of the conference contest. A.J. Rigsby and Will DeMuth each scored four goals in the game, while Blake Target also recorded a hat trick during the victory. James Moroney talled two goals of his own as seven different players rattled the back of the cage for the hosts.

F&M won 21 of the 27 face-offs as Connor Helm secured 17 of his 21 restarts for his side during an outstanding performance. Matthew Freeman was a perfect 2-for-2 in his attempts at the X while Adam Soper also claimed the possession twice. Thanks to strong play on the wing during face-offs, Tristan Lynch collected a team-high seven ground balls, with Connor Helm snatching five more loose balls. Nine different players picked up multiple ground balls throughout the victory. Sage Garito got the start in goal and stopped seven of the 12 shots on goal he faced before George Rioseco and Lachlan Barber came on in the remaining time.

McDaniel Preview

The Green Terror started the 2023 season with wins during six of its first eight nine games, but they are still in search of their first Centennial Conference victory this spring after wrapping the non-conference portion of their schedule with a 7-2 record. McDaniel came closest to a conference win with a 7-6 setback against Muhlenberg. Jason Fritz (32g), Nick DeLoriers (29g), and AJ Johnson (20g) have all eclipsed 20 goals on the season. DeLoriers has also dished out a team-leading 37 assists and leads the Green Terror with 66 points. Jason Heeley (107-for-226, 47.3%) and Thomas Bunce (60-for-147, 40.8%) have taken the majority of the faceoffs, with Heeley additionally collecting a team-best 57 ground balls. Logan Feuer (13 CTs), Jimmy Schmidt (12 CTs), and Nate Capriglione (11 CTs) lead the defensive effort on the field. Brighton Lorber has started all 16 of McDaniel's game this season and is stopping 56.9 percent of the shots he has faced while allowing 11.03 goals per game.

Centennial Conference Leaders from Franklin & Marshall (Top 10)

Points
5. Tommy Garofalo - 57
9. Christian Sullivan - 50

Goals
3. Tommy Garofalo - 45
5. Christian Sullivan - 42

Assists
3. Will Mollihan - 29

Caused Turnovers
4. Kyle Craig - 27

Face-Off Percentage
6. Matthew Freeman - 58.0%

Goals Against Average
7. Eric Mueller - 11.27
9. Sage Garito - 12.01

Save Percentage
4. Sage Garito - 54.7%
8. Eric Mueller - 52.0%

Wins
6. Sage Garito - 6