LANCASTER, PA - Midfielder Katie Wagenblast scored five goals, including four off free position shots, as the #2 nationally ranked The College of New Jersey Lions roared past Franklin & Marshall College 15-5 in non-conference women's lacrosse action at Sponagule-Williamson Field.

The key to the game was free-position goals as the Lions scored six, including three over a 2:10 span in the second half to turn a 7-3 game into a 10-4 contest with 12:54 left in the game, to F&M's one as The College of New Jersey turned a 5-2 halftime lead into a 10 goal victory.

TCNJ scored first in the game as Carin Heller finished a pass from Bridget Bigley 2:27 into the game for a 1-0 score. The Diplomats responded with 21:56 left in the half as Kiki Foster (So., Denver, CO/Kent Denver) converted a free-position shot to knot the game at one all.

The Lions retook the lead forty-six seconds later as Wagenblast bounced a shot over the down-turned stick of F&M goalie Kim Pleasants (Fr., Drexel Hill, PA/Upper Darby) at the 21:10 mark for a 2-1 lead. The lead increased to two goals fifty-five seconds later as Lauren Gossner found Lauren Dougher in front of the cage for a point-blank score and a 3-1 lead.

Franklin & Marshall closed to within a goal as Alexis O'Meara (Jr., Annapolis, MD/Severn School) connected on an assist from twin sister Allison O'Meara (Jr., Annapolis, MD/Severn School) with 16:09 left in the half to close to within 3-2. However, Wagenblast closed out the half with free-position goals at 13:20 and 5:24 as the Lions carried a 5-2 lead into halftime.

Statistically, TCNJ held the advantage in shots (17-to-five) and draw controls (six-to-two) in the first half while Marquardt made two saves to Pleasants' eight stops off consistent pressure from the Lions.

TCNJ continued the pressure in the opening minutes of the second half as Bigley buried a shot at 25:38 for a 6-2 score before Brenna Dolphin (Fr., Wilmington, DE/Archmere Academy) scooped a ground ball and went coast-to-coast beating goalie Megan Marquardt over her left shoulder to close to within 6-3 with 18:03 left on the game clock.

The Lions countered as Gossner scored back-to-back goals at 17:31 and 15:04, the former courtesy a free-position shot, and Wagenblast tallied a free-position goal at 14:04 to make the score 9-3. Eileen Keever (So, Prospect Park, PA/Interboro) attempted to rally her team as she scored an unassisted goal at 13:53, but Wagenblast closed out the Lions free-position goal spree with a score at 12:54 for a 10-4 lead.

Three straight unassisted goals by Dougher (9:06), Gossner (5:43) and Bernadette Campbell (5:16) moved the margin to 13-4 before Kelly Cassels (Fr., Downingtown, PA/Great Valley) registered a goal off an assist from Virginia Rollins (Fr., Baltimore, MD/McDonogh) to pull F&M to within 13-5 at the 2:28 mark.

Bigley closed out the scoring in the game as she finished a feed from Christie Shore at 1:44 and scored off a free-position shot at 1:31 for the 15-5 final.

Overall, the Lions led in shots (39-to-16) and draw controls (15-to-seven), while Pleasants finished with 16 saves to Marquardt's eight in the game.

The loss marks the 12th straight by F&M to TCNJ, as the Diplomats are now 0-12 against the Lions.

Franklin & Marshall will continue the season on May 1 at Gettysburg College versus McDaniel in the opening round of the 2004 Centennial Conference playoffs. Game time is set for approximately 3:30 p.m. at Gettysburg's Shirk Field at Musselman Stadium.

Score by Half 1-2 -- Final
College of New Jersey (15-0) 5-10 -- 15
Franklin & Marshall (9-7, 6-3 CC) 2-3 -- 5

Goals:
Franklin & Marshall: Alexis O'Meara (1), Kiki Foster (1), Brenna Dolphin (1), Eileen Keever (1), Kelly Cassels (1)
TCNJ: Katie Wagenblast (5), Bridget Bigley (3), Lauren Gossner (3), Lauren Dougher (2), Carin Heller (1), Bernadette Campbell (1)

Assists:
Franklin & Marshall: Allison O'Meara (1), Virginia Rollins (1)
TCNJ: Bridget Bigley (1), Lauren Gossner (1), Christie Shore (1)

Shots: F&M 16, TCNJ 39

Draw Control: F&M 7, TCNJ 15

Goalies: F&M (Kim Pleasants - 60 minutes, 16 saves, 39 shots, 15 goal allowed)
TCNJ (Megan Marquardt - 60 minutes, 8 saves, 16 shots, 5 goals allowed