April 14, 2007

Box Score

LANCASTER, Pa. - Franklin & Marshall scored four goals down the stretch to chip away at Haverford's five goal lead entering the final quarter, but the game-tying goal eluded the Diplomats, allowing the Fords to escape with a 7-6 win at Sponaugle-Williamson field Saturday afternoon. Haverford improved to 7-4 (4-2 CC), while F&M fell to 5-5 (2-3 CC).

After surrendering a quick goal to Mike Down (Ellicott City, MD / Centennial) in the game's early going, the Fords reeled off three goals, two by Max Tcheyan, before F&M's Cyrus Adams (Nashville, TN / Montgomery Bell) converted on a Down feed making it 3-2 after one quarter.

F&M fell silent for the next 23:16 after Adams' goal. That's when the Fords pulled away.

Dean Granoff and Shane Hafer scored less than a minute apart early in the second quarter. Hafer struck again in the waning minutes of the half to give his squad a 6-2 lead at the break. Matt Thorne-Fitzgerald scored the only goal of the third quarter to make it 7-2. His second of the day stood up as the game-winner. Tcheyan assisted on each of Haverford's final pair.

Mark Hild (Denver, CO / Denver East) got F&M back in the scoring column with 9:44 left in the game. He scored a pair down the stretch. Less than two minutes later, Peter Moon (Durham, NC / Durham) converted an extra-man opportunity to make it 7-4. Hild struck again with 3:14 left in the game, and 45 seconds later, it was Phil Schellhorn (Wilton, CT / Wilton) who made it a 7-6 game.

F&M won the ensuing faceoff, but quickly turned the ball over. The Diplomats regained possession with 1:07 left in the game, but Brett Leppert's (Baltimore / John Carroll) shot sailed wide. F&M retained possession, but the defense forced the ball free 15 yards from the Fords' cage. Matt Handel picked up the loose ball and threw it the length of the field to seal the win.

K.C. Peterson turned aside 16 F&M shots, though he was rarely forced out of position. Dan Coffman (Annapolis, MD / Severn School) stopped ten at the opposite end.