Game Notes

Last Time Out

The then-No. 4 Diplomats rolled to their first victory of the season with a 21-5 win during the home opener this past Saturday against Catholic. Despite the final score, it was the Cardinals that held a 3-0 lead just over three minutes into the game before the Diplomats shut down Catholic and scored 21 of the contest's 23 goals for the resounding victory. Five Diplomats recorded hat tricks, with Lauren Pittman's six-point outing (four goals, two assists) pacing the attack. Gillian Brennan and Lane Lambeth also matched her team high with four goals while assisting on one other goal. Devyn Crone matched Pittman's team high in points with three goals and three assists, while Lydia Cassilly added three more goals to the winning side. Liv Cooper, Skylar Holmes, and Avery Briggs also got into the scoring outburst inside Shadek Stadium. Madison Bray added a multi-point game to F&M with two assists of her own on the afternoon.

Franklin & Marshall finished with a 40-16 advantage in shots. The Diplomats also held the advantages in both ground balls (25-14) and draw controls (16-14). In addition to her huge offensive performance, Pittman contributed in a number of other facets as she led her side with five ground balls and four caused turnovers. Belle Dintino forced three Catholic turnovers, as Lambeth and Mia Geignetter also came away with a pair of turnovers from the Cardinals. Pittman, Lambeth, and Sarah Bowyer helped control the restarts with four draw controls each. Alyssa Moran made three saves in goal to anchor the defensive unit that faced just eight shots in half – including none during the third quarter.

Last Time vs. York (Pa.)

The Diplomats earned a nationally-ranked win wiht a hard-fought 12-10 victory inside Shadek Stadium. Neither team led by more than two goals all afternoon until the final minutes. The Diplomats eventually broke the game's seventh tie with a pair of goals during the final 5:49 of regulation. Lydia Cassilly scored a team-leading four goals on the afternoon, including the game-winner that came with just 5:49 left in regulation as the Diplomats finished the contest on a 3-0 run. Lauren Pittman registered five points, including another hat trick, to continue her phenomenal rookie campaign. Sydney Lowe tallied the final goal of the afternoon to finish with a pair, while Lane Lambeth also found the back of the cage twice.

Trailing for just the second time all day at 10-9, F&M got an up goal from Sydney Lowe off a feed from Maddy Birch to set the score level at 10 with 11:06 remaining in regulation. York goalie Bella Garabo denied three F&M shots on goal before Cassilly's eventual game winner. The Spartans sent a potential game-tying attempt on a free-position wide of the cage before Pittman added an insurance tally. Alyssa Moran's play in goal helped limit York (Pa.) to just 3-of-10 on its free-position chances. The Diplomats' goalie made nine saves during her second win of the season. Four Diplomats caused multiple turnovers in the victory, led by four from Caroline Findlay.

York (Pa.) Preview

The Spartans will be playing their first game of the 2024 season when they welcome Franklin & Marshall on Wednesday evening. York (Pa.) was ranked sixth in the IWLCA Preseason Poll and is currently seventh in the national rankings. The Spartans advanced to the Elite 8 last season with wins against No. 20 Stevens and No. 4 Salisbury before falling to Gettysburg during the national quarterfinals. Both of these teams won their respective conference championships last season as York (Pa.) captured the MAC Commonwealth Championship with a 10-7 victory versus Messiah. The Spartans return six all-conference players from that team.

Headling the returners is Bella Garabo who was named a first-team All-American during the 2023 season. She allowed just 7.18 goals per game and stopped 52.8% of the shots she faced a season ago while racking up 134 saves. Logan Ward and Sydney Mentzer are returning All-Metro Region performers for the Spartans. Ward scored 37 goals and tallied 25 assists during the 2023 season, with Mentzer adding 43 goals and three assists to her MAC Commonwealth Rookie of the Year campaign. Zoe Kluegel (second-team attack), Sarah Christensen (second-team defense), and Christina Vendelis (second-team defense) are also back after earning All-MAC Commonwealth honors last spring.

Centennial Conference Leaders from Franklin & Marshall (Top 10)

Points
6. Gillian Brennan (10)

Goals
6. Gillian Brennan (9)
t-7. Lane Lambeth (7)

Assists
t-4. Lydia Cassilly (4)
t-4. Lauren Pittman (4)
t-6. Devyn Crone (3)

Caused Turnovers
2. Belle Dintino (6)
5. Lauren Pittman (4)

Draw Controls
4. Lauren Pittman (12)

Goals Against Average
8. Alyssa Moran (11.00)

Save Percentage
8. Alyssa Moran (.290)

Saves
4. Alyssa Moran (9)