LANCASTER, PA - Kiki Foster (So., Denver, CO/Kent Denver) scored seven goals and handed out three assists as the Franklin & Marshall College women's lacrosse team routed Muhlenberg 18-3 at Sponaugle-Williamson Field in the Centennial Conference season opener.
Foster's goal performance equals her output through the first five games of the season as she entered the contest with seven goals and no assists. Further, it marks her best game to date in an F&M uniform as she raises her career point total to 48 goals and seven assists for 55 points.
The Diplomats jumped on the board early and often in the first half as Alexis O'Meara (Jr., Annapolis, MD/Severn School) finished a feed from Foster for a score 3:03 into the first half. The goal marked the 100th of her intercollegiate career as she surpassed head coach Anne Phillips '80 (99) for 17th in career goals at the College.
Overall, with a five goal performance against Muhlenberg, O'Meara tied Eve Dintino '83 (104) for 16th in career goals as she now has 104 goals and 59 assists 163 points.
The Mules tied the game 1:22 following O'Meara's score as Courtney Tapkas buried an assist from Jessica Geiger to knot the score.
However, F&M took control of the contest behind Foster as she scored a free-position goal at 19:25, finished a feed from Eileen Keever (So., Prospect Park, PA/Interboro) at 19:04 and flicked a shot off the ground and over the stick of Mules' goalie Diana Bleakley at 9:00 for an unassisted goal to put the score at 4-1.
O'Meara found the back of the net again at 8:45 with a free position goal before Tapkas scored at 6:59 for a 5-2 game.
F&M controlled the tempo for the remainder of the half as Keever scored an unassisted goal off a fast break with 6:46 remaining, Foster netted an unassisted score at 4:13 and Beverly Menghetti (Fr., Glen Mills, PA/Penncrest) beat Bleakely stick-side low for a score with 1:23 left in the half as Franklin & Marshall carried an 8-2 lead into the break.
The Diplomats poured it on in the opening minutes of the second half as Allison O'Meara (Jr., Annapolis, MD/Severn School) registered an unassisted score 1:40 into the half before Elizabeth Alexander responded for the Mules at the 27:18 mark with an unassisted score for a 9-3 game.
The rest of the game was all F&M as Cassels tallied an unassisted goal at 26:27, Foster finished a feed from Alexis O'Meara at 24:51, Alexis O'Meara scored an unassisted goal off a fast break at 24:39, Cassels buried a feed from Virginia Rollins (Fr., Baltimore, MD/McDonogh) at 16:26 and Foster registered an unassisted score at 14:05 to put the score at 14-3.
The duo of Foster and O'Meara factored in the next three goals as Alexis O'Meara finished feeds from Foster at 11:37 and 5:18 before Foster tallied her seventh goal off an O'Meara pass with 2:50 left on the clock. Cassels closed out the scoring with a catch-and-shoot goal at the two-minute mark for the 18-3 final.
Overall, the Diplomats dominated the game outshooting Muhlenberg 43-9, including shooting wide nine times and hitting three pipes, and holding a 38-24 advantage in ground balls.
In goal, Leslie Staines (Fr., Villanova, PA/Radnor) made three saves for the win, while Muhlenberg's Bleakley stopped 13 shots in the loss.
The game marked the most lopsided score in F&M women's lacrosse since the Diplomats defeated Bryn Mawr 24-4 on April 20, 2002 in Lancaster. Historically, the Bryn Mawr game also marked the last time an F&M player registered 10 points in a contest as Lauren Paul '03 scored five goals and handed out five assists in the win.
Franklin & Marshall (3-3, 1-0 Centennial Conference) will continue the season on March 31 at defending Centennial Conference champion Gettysburg College. Game time is set for 4:00 p.m.
Score by Half 1-2 -- Final
Muhlenberg (2-3, 0-1 CC) 2-1 -- 3
Franklin & Marshall (3-3, 1-0 CC) 8-10 -- 18
Goals:
Franklin & Marshall: Kiki Foster (7), Alexis O'Meara (5), Kelly Cassels (3), Beverly Menghetti (1), Allison O'Meara (1), Eileen Keever (1)
Muhlenberg: Courtney Tapkas (2), Elizabeth Alexander (1)
Assists:
Franklin & Marshall: Kiki Foster (3), Alexis O'Meara (2), Eileen Keever (1), Gini Rollins (1)
Muhlenberg: Jessica Geiger (1)
Shots: F&M 43, Muhlenberg 9
Ground Balls: F&M 38, Muhlenberg 24
Goalies: F&M (Leslie Staines - 60 minutes, 3 saves, 3 goals allowed)
Muhlenberg (Diana Bleakley- 60 minutes, 13 saves, 18 goals allowed)
