Game Notes

The Franklin & Marshall field hockey team (7-5, 4-1 CC) enters a new week of action after splitting results last week with a double overtime loss to Gettysburg and a win at Muhlenberg. The Diplomats host #17 Ursinus on Wednesday, October 16, at 7:00 pm before traveling to Haverford on Saturday, October 19, at 1:00 pm.

Last Week

Franklin & Marshall went 1-1 on the road in Centennial Conference play last week, falling at Gettysburg 3-2 in double overtime on Wednesday before picking up a 2-0 win at Muhlenberg on Saturday.  

Last Time vs. Ursinus

After earning a 2-1 shootout win at Ursinus in the regular season in 2023, the Diplomats followed this up with a 4-2 win at home in the first round of the Centennial Conference playoffs. Caitlin Hoover posted her second hat-trick of the 2023 season to lead the offense in the matchup. Ursinus found the net first just four minutes into the game, by Jessica Miller made use of a Hoover pass to level the scoreline. Hoover's goal in the 16th minute gave F&M a lead that stood the rest of the way. She doubled the advantage early in the third quarter. Following a Ursinus goal to make it 3-2, Hoover found the back of the cage in the 59th minute to secure the win and a spot in the Centennial Conference Semifinals. Meghan Dole saved eight of ten shots on the day.

Last Time vs. Haverford

F&M secured a 4-0 win hosting Haverford on Senior Day last year, with four separate Diplomats finding the back of the cage including Keira Boensch, Darby Klopp, Sophie Carroll, and Grace Fass. Caitlyn Hoover assisted Boensch's game-opening in the goal in the third minute, while Alison McCarey proved the assist on Klopp's goal a minute later. The Diplomats added to their lead in the third period as Avery Niedland assisted Sophie Carrol, and Fass capped the 4-0 scorline off a Klopp assist in the final minute. Meghan Dole was tasked with making just two saves as F&M outshot the Fords 14-7. The shutout was one of eight shutouts in 2023 and one of six against Centennial Conference opponents. 

#17 Ursinus Team Preview

The #17 Bears (7-4, 3-2) stay ranked 17th in the NFHCA poll following a 2-1 loss at Swarthmore College on Wednesday night and a 5-2 win hosting Washington College on Saturday afternoon. All of the scoring in the 2-1 loss to Swarthmore came in the fourth quarter, as Swarthmore scored in the 47th minute. Two minutes later, Marie Brainard leveled the scoreline at 1-1. Swarthmore scored the eventual game-winner in the 53rd minute to move to 4-1 in the Centennial Conference, level with Franklin & Marshall entering the week. Five Bears scored in the 5-2 win over the Shorewomen including Gigi Testa, Amanda Groeling, Lauren Breisch, Eliza Donaldson, and Mary Lauren Franz. Testa opened scoring four minutes in, although Washington responded within two minutes. From there, Ursinus scored a goal in the second quarter, two in the third, and one in the fourth to coast to the finish. Adrianan Palladinetti made five saves. Franz is tied for the most goals among Centennial Conference players with 12, while Kirsten John is tied for the third-most assists with four.

Haverford Team Preview

The Fords (6-5, 2-2 CC) look to bounce from a week that featured losses to Washington College (L, 2-1 - OT) on Wednesday and #4 Johns Hopkins (L, 1-0) on Saturday. After falling behind 1-0 in the first quarter to Washington, Rachel Marlin tied the game in the 37th minute via a penalty stroke that would send the game into overtime, with the Shorewomen's game-winner coming in the 64th minute. Haverford were outshot narrowly, 17-15, in the game, while Haverford goalkeeper made seven saves which is one save shy of a career high. #4 Johns Hopkins didn't find the game-winning goal until the 55th minute following a Haverford defensive effort that featured 11 saves by Mary Smith for a season-high. Haverford were outshot 18-1.  Smith currently has the conference's sixth-best save percentage (.760), the fourth-best goals against average (1.32), and two shutouts.

Centennial Conference Leaders from Franklin & Marshall (Top 10)

Assists
T3. Caitlin Hoover (4)

Game-Winning Goals
T6. Annie Malatesta (2)

Shots on Goal
8. Jessica Miller (23)

Shots
4. Jessica Miller (31)

Defensive Saves
T2. Annie Malatesta (3)
T2. Kat Thistlewaite (3)

Goals Against Average
3. Meghan Dole (1.22)

Shutouts
1. Meghan Dole (5)

Save Percentage
1. Meghan Dole (.797)

Saves per Game
6. Meghan Dole (4.58)