Game Notes

The Franklin & Marshall men's soccer team enters the week unbeaten, but having tied each of its last three opponents. The Diplomats started the year with a 5-0 victory over Lancaster Bible but have since drawn with Lynchburg (0-0), Rowan (2-2), and No. 19 Kenyon (1-1). They will battle local rival Elizabethtown this Wednesday in the annual Smith-Herr Boot Matchup at Elizabethtown.

Last Week

The Diplomats' two most recent draws came last week against Rowan and Kenyon. Against Rowan, F&M erased a two-goal deficit in the second half to finish in a 2-2 tie. The resilant comeback started during the final 26 minutes of play. Trailing 2-0 in the 64th minute, Jack Borden rocketed a shot that was deflected by a sliding defender and ricocheted into the net to cut the deficit in half. The score was Borden's first in a Diplomat uniform. Still down 2-1 in the 87th minute, F&M pressed the Rowan net as Adam Green chipped a crossing pass into the box. A diving-header from Nico Gonzalez snuck inside the left post to tie the game up at 2-2. Gonzalez tallied his first-career goal, while Green was credited with his fourth-career assist. Franklin & Marshall outshot Rowan, 18-12, with the Diplomats recording 10 shots on net in the contest. F&M also worked 12 corner kicks and held the Profs to four in the game.

Playing a top 20 matchup of teams that both advanced to the second round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament, the Diplomats led most of the way during their first-ever meeting against Kenyon before the Owls found the late equalizier. Koa Kaliebe scored his first goal of the season to give the Diplomats a 1-0 lead during the 32nd minute of game action. Kaliebe was able to break the scoreless deadlock after seeing his first shot on goal of the contest saved less than 14 minutes earlier. The Diplomats held that lead all the way until the 86th minute when Kenyon's Eamon Dujakovich tied the game off a pass from Andrew Adams. Booth made five saves during the second half – and six for the match – to keep the Owls off the board for over 85 minutes. That second half pressure allowed the visitors to hold a 14-11 edge in shots as the final whistle blew on the 1-1 draw. Kenyon also maintained a 9-5 advantage in corner kicks.

Last Time vs. Elizabethtown

Playing for the Smith-Herr Boot for the 50th time in school history a season again, the Diplomats won a storm-filled night that included an hour-long weather delay as they triumphed over the Blue Jays by a 1-0 score. The win was F&M's fifth straight in the series. Franklin & Marshall tallied its lone goal in the 64th minute of the match as Philip Monos connected with Michael Desmond in the box. Desmond lost his defender and sent his shot through the legs of the Elizabethtown goalkeeper to give F&M a 1-0 advantage. The score was Desmond's first goal of the season and the second game-winner of his career. F&M tallied 14 total shots (six on net) with Oscar Horwitz leading the attack with four shots. Levi Kline wasperfect in net as he saved both of Elizabethtown's shots on goal.

Elizabethtown Team Preview

The Smith-Herr Boot will certainly have a different feel in 2024 as legendary Elizabethtown coach Skip Roderick retired following the 2023 season. The Blue Jays are off to a 1-2 start in the next chapter of their program. They started the season with a 1-0 victory over Alfred but are looking to snap a two-match losing streak after falling to Centennial Conference foe Washington College by a 3-0 score before recently being bested by Immaculata 3-2. Pedro Guizardi has two of the Blue Jays' three goals this season, with Aidan Valentine scoring the other. Pedro Miranda has started all three games in goal and is stopping 60 percent of the shots he has faced while allowing two goals per game. Elizabethtown is averaging one goal per game during the early portion of the schedule.