LANCASTER, Pa. -- A pair of freshman from Maryland's St. Paul's School for Girls keyed #5 Franklin & Marshall's 8-7 win over #3 Salisbury in women's lacrosse Saturday. Blake Hargest (Cockeysville, MD / SPSG) tallied the game-winning goal, while Lidia Sanza (Cockeysville, MD / SPSG) turned away six Sea Gull advances to give F&M it's sixth victory over a ranked team this season. Franklin & Marshall remains unbeaten at 9-0, while Salisbury suffered its first setback of the season to fall to 10-1.

Holding a tenuous 7-6 lead with 6:09 left in the game, Hargest set up just off of the right post, where she accepted a pass from Shannon Summers (N. Wales, PA / Hill School), and buried it home. Less than two minutes later, Salisbury's Jessica Liston capitalized on a Sue Ackerman feed for the second time in the second half to cut it to 8-7.

The Diplomats won the ensuing draw, and almost made it a two-goal game, but Summers caught iron, while Salisbury's keeper, Natalie Pappas, caught the carom and pushed the ball upfield. Katie Simmons tried to draw the teams even with 2:03 left, but was denied by Sanza.

F&M appeared poised to kill the clock with a lengthy possession in Salisbury's end, but an isolated Sarah Nyman (Malvern, PA / Great Valley) had the ball knocked from her cross by a Robyn Bishop stick check. Stephanie Shores gathered the loose ball for Salisbury, which used the better part of the remaining seconds looking for the game-tying shot. Bishop finally pulled the trigger with six ticks, but her shot sailed wide, giving the Diplomats possession with 1.7 seconds left, and the win.

The teams traded pairs of goals in the first 13 minutes with F&M getting on the board first. Jen Pritchard (Media, PA / Penncrest) broke the deadlock with 10:57 left in the first half, and Salisbury spent the rest of the game playing catch-up. Pritchard finished the game with a hat trick, including a goal with eight seconds left in the first half that made it 6-4. The Diplomats never led by more than two goals at any point in the contest.

Sue Ackerman assisted on four of Salisbury's goals. In addition to Liston's pair, Salisbury got two from Natalie Degele. Pappas recorded eight saves in the Gulls cage. Franklin & Marshall returns to action on Wednesday at Muhlenberg.

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LANCASTER, Pa. - The No. 3 Salisbury University women's lacrosse team suffered its first defeat of the season at the hands of No. 5 Franklin & Marshall College 8-7 on Saturday afternoon before a crowd of 545.

The Diplomats (9-0) jumped out to an early two-goal lead in the first half thanks to goals scored by Jen Pritchard and Ashley Bevington. Pritchard led all goal scorers with three goals, all of which came in the first half, including the last goal before the half with eight seconds left on the clock as F&M led 6-4 at the break.

Salisbury (10-1) tied the score at two apiece midway through the first half as the maroon and gold received goals from sophomore Robyn Bishop and senior captain Ani Khatchatoorian.

SU would play from behind the rest of the close nit game as the Gulls pulled within one goal, four times, but watched the Dips increase the margin back to two goals.

Freshman goalie Natalie Pappas kept the Sea Gulls close with eight saves, six in the first half. Leading scorer Sue Ackermann was held without a goal for only the second time this season as the junior passed out a game-high four assists.

Senior Natalie Degele and junior Jessica Liston each had two goals for Salisbury. Liston's second goal with 4:17 left to play pulled SU within a goal at 8-7. However, the Dips and goalie Lidia Sanza (six saves) were able to hold off the Gulls in the final minutes and secure the victory.

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2007-03-31