GETTYSBURG, PA - Ellie Shihadeh netted an unassisted goal with 58 seconds left in the third overtime period as the #3 Gettysburg College Bullets survived #9 Franklin & Marshall College 8-7 in Centennial Conference women's lacrosse.

Trailing 5-4 at halftime, the Diplomats (7-2, 3-1 Centennial Conference) fell behind 6-4 with 26:34 left in the second half as the Bullets Krissy Browning scored off an assist from Jenn Kelly. However, F&M midfielder Kelly Cassels (Jr., Downingtown, PA/Great Valley) led rally to tie the score as she finished a pass from Kiki Foster (Sr., Denver, CO/Kent Denver) at 22:27 and threaded an assist to midfielder Brenna Dolphin (Jr., Wilmington, DE/Archmere Academy) at 18:04 to tie the score at 6-6.

Gettysburg (10-0, 4-0 Centennial Conference) regained the lead as Shihadeh tallied an unassisted goal at the 17:24 mark, but F&M freshman attacker Jen Pritchard (Media, PA/Penncrest) split the Bullets' defense and beat goalie Heather Kelley with a shot with 11:55 left in regulation to tie the score at 7-7 and force overtime.

In the extra frames, neither team could score as the defenses locked down allowing one shot by the Diplomats and two by Gettysburg in the first overtime period, none in the second overtime period and only Shihadeh's game-winning shot in the third period.

The game was a back-and-forth which saw the Bullets jump out to a 1-0 lead 3:10 into the game as Jenn Kelly finished a pass from Shihadeh at the 26:50 mark. Pritchard answered for the Diplomats putting home a shot off an assist from attacker Catherine Onnen (So., Lutherville, MD/St. Paul's School for Girls) 37 seconds following Kelly's goal at 26:13.

Gettysburg and F&M traded goals as Megan Moore tallied an unassisted score for the Bullets at 25:54 before midfielder Sarah Meisenberg (Fr., Severna Park, MD/Severn School) fired in a shot at 24:08 to keep the score tied at 2-2.

The Bullets retook the lead and pushed the margin out to 4-2 as Katie Hagan scored unassisted at 23:22 and Krissy Browning finished a pass from Kelly at 13:14, but the Diplomats stormed back as Cassels found Meisenberg for a score at 7:39 and defender Eileen Keever (Sr., Prospect Park, PA/Interboro) assisted midfielder Shannon Summers (Fr., North Wales, PA/The Hill School) on a tally at 5:14 to knot the game at 4-4.

However, the Bullets entered halftime with a lead as Moore scored with 18 seconds showing on the clock for a 5-4 margin at the break and to set up the climatic conclusion to the game.

Statistically, the Bullets out shot F&M 27-22, including a 16-11 advantage in the first half, and held a 12-7 advantage in draw controls, but the Diplomats scooped 20 ground balls to Gettysburg's 16.

In goal, Kamissa Mort (Sr., Ashton, MD/Sandy Spring) took the loss allowing eight goals with eight saves on 27 shots, while Kelley stopped five of the Diplomats 22 shots to pick up the win.

The loss snaps the Diplomats 17 game Centennial Conference regular season victory streak, as F&M had not dropped a non-playoff conference game since a 9-8 loss to Washington College on April 10, 2004.

Historically, since the Washington loss the Diplomats have lost three Centennial Conference games, including playoffs, as Gettysburg defeated F&M 14-8 in the 2004 CC title game at Gettysburg and 11-8 in the 2005 CC title game at Franklin & Marshall before this year's loss. In addition, the Bullets and Diplomats have clashed in the last three Centennial Conference title games as Gettysburg defeated F&M 8-6 in Gettysburg in the 2003 title tilt.

Overall, the Bullets are now 19-17-1 all-time against F&M and hold a two game win streak as the Diplomats defeated Gettysburg 8-7 on March 30, 2005 in the two teams last regular season meeting.

Franklin & Marshall (7-2, 3-1 Centennial Conference) will continue the season on April 8 at #17 Ursinus College in Centennial Conference action. Game time is set for 1:00 p.m.

Score by Half 1-2-O-O-O - Final
#9 Franklin & Marshall (7-2, 3-1 CC) 4-3-0-0-0 - 7
#3 Gettysburg (10-0, 4-0 CC) 5-2-0-0-1 - 8

Goals:
Franklin & Marshall: Jen Pritchard (2), Sarah Meisenberg (2), Kelly Cassels (1), Shannon Summers (1), Brenna Dolphin (1)
Gettysburg: Ellie Shihadeh (2), Megan Moore (2), Krissy Browning (2), Jenn Kelly (1), Katie Hagan (1)

Assists:
Franklin & Marshall: Kelly Cassels (2), Kiki Foster (1), Eileen Keever (1), Catherine Onnen (1)
Gettysburg: Jenn Kelly (2), Ellie Shihadeh (1)

Shots: F&M 22, Gettysburg 27

Goalies: F&M - Kamissa Mort - 68:02, 8 saves, 8 GA
Gettysburg- Heather Kelley - 68:02, 5 saves, 7 GA

Draw Controls: F&M 7-for-19, Gettysburg 12-for-19

Free Position: F&M 0-for-2, Gettysburg 0-1

Ground Balls: F&M 20, Gettysburg 16

Fouls: F&M 20, Gettysburg 19