LANCASTER, PA - The Franklin & Marshall College women's lacrosse team moved to 16th in the March 8 edition of the 2004 Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) poll.

Ranked #15 last week, the Diplomats opened the season with a 13-7 loss to #4 Salisbury University at Swarthmore College's Clothier Field.

Leading the way for F&M against the Gulls was attacker Alexis
O'Meara (Jr., Annapolis, MD/Severn School) who scored two goals and tallied an assist to raise her career numbers to 93 goals and 51 assists for 144 points.

The 2003 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Mid-Atlantic Region Champions courtesy a 15-6 win over Washington College in the title game, Franklin & Marshall concluded the 2003 season ranked #12 in the final 2003 IWLCA Division III poll.

Overall, the Diplomats' ECAC title marked the first in four attempts as the 1995, 1996 and 2001 women's lacrosse squads also advanced to the post-season tournament.

This year, the Diplomats will look to improve on their performance from 2003 as the team recorded a 14-5 mark, 8-1 in Centennial Conference play to advance to the CC playoffs. In the playoffs, F&M dispatched Washington 11-7 before falling to the then #4 nationally ranked Bullets 8-6 in the title tilt. The title game appearance marked the Diplomats' first in Centennial Conference history.

Franklin & Marshall (0-1, 0-0 Centennial Conference) will continue the season on March 9 at Goucher College. Game time is set for 4:00 p.m.

2004 IWLCA Division III Poll (March 8)
Rank Team
1. Middlebury
2. Amherst
3. College of New Jersey
4. Salisbury
5. Gettysburg
6. Williams
7. William Smith
8. St. Marys (MD)
9. Mary Washington
10. Cortland
11. Ithaca
12. Colby
13. Washington & Lee
14. Colorado
15. Bowdoin
16. Franklin & Marshall
17. Drew
18. Ursinus
19. Skidmore
20. Union