Game Notes

Last Time Out

No. 6 Franklin & Marshall topped No. 7 York (Pa.) in a battle of two national powers last Wednesday evening. The Diplomats (2-1) jumped out to an early lead with a 4-0 run out of the gates and then held the Spartans (0-1) scoreless for over 28 minutes during the second through fourth quarters of the 14-10 road victory. Lane Lambeth led three F&M hat tricks with five goals on the evening, with Lydia Cassilly and Lauren Pittman also contributing three goals each. Madison Bray matched the team high of five points with one goal while dishing out four assists in addition to goals from Gillian Brennan and Devyn Crone during the win.

Franklin & Marshall finished with the advantage in shots (32-23), shots on goal (27-16), and ground balls (15-9), while both sides finished with four free-position goals and a basically even draw control. In addition to another strong offensive display, Pittman continued to show her versatility as the reigning Centennial Conference Defensive Player of the Week led her team with four ground balls and two caused turnovers. Kate McLam added two caused turnovers to the defensive effort which helped limit York (Pa.) to just 13-of-22 on its clear attempts. Lambeth finished her night as one five players with multiple draw controls, leading F&M with four wins off of the restarts. Alyssa Moran was called on to make six saves against the No. 7 Spartans while registering the win in goal.

Last Time vs. Messiah

The Diplomats picked up their first nationally-ranked win of the 2023 season via a 19-11 victory over No. 13 Messiah last spring. The Diplomats (1-1) scored six goals in the first quarter and eight more during the third to pace the explosive attack. Lydia Cassilly was one of four Diplomats who posted hat tricks as she registered a team-high six points (5 g, 1 a) on just seven shots. Sydney Lowe, Devyn Crone, and Lauren Pittman each found twine three times inside Shadek Stadium, with Lowe and Crone finishing at five and four points each after setting up their teammates. Lane Lambeth also talled twice, with Madison Bray, Maddy Birch, and Adde Hollander additionally finding their way onto the score sheet. Bray's goal came on top of setting up three others throughout the nationally-ranked battle.

Franklin & Marshall got very strong production in the crease from its goalies as Alyssa Moran made a career-high nine saves during her 56-plus minutes in goal before Molly Donatelli made two more stops during the closing minutes. A huge key to the F&M success was holding Messiah to just 1-for-9 on free position attempts. The Diplomats also held a 34-25 edge in shots and a 20-17 lead in ground balls throughout the contest. Belle Dintino and Mary Pat McKenna each forced a pair of turnovers. Bray led the Diplomats with seven draw controls, while Caroline Findlay, Cassilly, and McKenna each scooped up a team-best three ground balls.

Messiah Preview

Messiah went 16-4 a season ago and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to The College of New Jersey. However, the Falcons have gotten off to a slower start this year as they sit at 0-4 on the season, including a pair of one-goal defeats to Scranton and Shenandoah. The Falcons are coming off of a 13-10 loss to St. Mary's (Md.) who the Diplomats will play next week during the team's trip to Florida. Messiah has also played Centennial Conference rival Gettysburg in the early part of the season, dropping an 18-3 battle to the Bullets.

Hayley Lettings leads the Falcons with eight goals and nine points on the season. Hannah Gawne, Katie Bukiewicz, and Annalise Keitel also have five goals each for the Falcons. Keitel is also the Falcons' main threat on restarts with 12 draw controls on the season. Bukiewicz has a strong presence on the team's transition defense as she leads the team with eight caused turnovers. Mackenzie O'Haver has started all four games in goal for the Falcons. She has stopped 38.3% of the shots on goal that she has faced while allowing 12.50 goals per game.

Centennial Conference Leaders from Franklin & Marshall (Top 10)

Points
9. Lane Lambeth (13)

Goals
5. Lane Lambeth (12)
9. Gillian Brennan (10)

Assists
4. Madison Bray (6)
6. Lauren Pittman (5)

Caused Turnovers
7. Belle Dintino (7)
7. Lauren Pittman (7)

Ground Balls
6. Lauren Pittman (10)

Draw Controls
7. Lauren Pittman (14)

Goals Against Average
2. Alyssa Moran (10.67)

Save Percentage
6. Alyssa Moran (.319)

Saves
7. Alyssa Moran (15)