LANCASTER, PA - Forward Brittany Croll (Jr., Frankford, DE/Indian River) scored the opening goal and assisted on the final score of the game in a 4-0 victory over Muhlenberg College as the Franklin & Marshall College field hockey team clinched a berth in the 2004 Centennial Conference playoffs.
F&M, which can clinch the #2 seed with either a win at Swarthmore or a Dickinson College loss at Swarthmore on October 30, will face the Red Devils in the opening round of the playoffs on November 6 at #1 seed Ursinus College.
Against Muhlenberg, Croll sealed the game at the 16:50 mark of the first half as she dribbled between multiple defenders to drill home the goal and take a 1-0 lead. The Diplomats' defense did the rest over the remainder of the half holding the Mules to two shots on goal following the score, while Muhlenberg's defense kept Franklin & Marshall from expanding the lead until after halftime.
The Diplomats added to the margin 14:50 into the second half as Eileen Keever (Jr., Prospect Park, PA/Interboro) redirected a Brenna Dolphin (So., Wilmington, DE/Archmere) centering pass to put the hosts up 2-0. Less than two minutes later, Stacy Swymelar (Jr., Phoenixville, PA/Phoenixville) dodged a defender and found the back of the cage for an unassisted score and a 3-0 lead.
F&M closed out the scoring with 4:15 remaining on the game clock as Jess Senior (So., Wilmington, DE/Archmere Academy) recorded her first collegiate goal off a feed from Croll for the 4-0 victory.
The key to the game for the Diplomats was the team's defense as goalie Michelle Altman (Jr., Trumbull, CT/Trumbull) recorded nine saves on 17 Muhlenberg shots and stopped a penalty stroke in the second half, while defender Erin Benjamin (Sr., Mt. Holly, NJ/Rancocas Valley) added a defensive save.
The win raises F&M's record to 8-4-1 all-time against Muhlenberg and marks the fourth straight victory in the series. In addition, it marks the 14th victory of the season for the Diplomats as the team's win total ties the 1976 (14-3-2) and 1977 (14-3-2) for the third most wins in a season behind the 1982 (16-3-1) and 1980 (15-6-3) teams.
Franklin & Marshall College (14-3, 7-2 CC) will return to action on October 30 at Swarthmore College. Game time is set for noon.
Muhlenberg (9-7, 4-5 CC) 0-0 -- 0
#12 Franklin & Marshall (13-3, 6-2 CC) 1-3 -- 4
Goals: F&M - Brittany Croll (unassisted) 16:50
F&M - Eileen Keever (Brenna Dolphin) 49:50
F&M - Stacy Swymelar (unassisted) 51:31
F&M - Jess Senior (Brittany Croll) 65:45
Saves: F&M - Michelle Altman 9 (70 minutes)
MC - Lauren Schram 5 (70 minutes)
Shots: F&M 13, MC 16
Corners: F&M 6, MC 7
