April 29, 2007

Box Score |  Trophy Photos 

LANCASTER, Pa. - Franklin & Marshall won its first Centennial Conference women's lacrosse championship with a 14-4 win over Gettysburg on Sunday. The Diplomats (17-0) snapped a string of five consecutive Gettysburg (15-3) championships, and became just the fourth team to take the title in the league's 14-year history.

The Diplomats jumped all over Gettysburg reeling off five unanswered goals and scoring nine of the game's first 11 goals, all in the first half. Blake Hargest (Cockeysville, MD / SPSG) scored the first and final two goals of the first period for F&M. She finished the game with four goals and an assist, and wrapped the tournament with nine goals.

Sarah Meiesnberg (Severna Park, MD / Severn School) and Ashley Bevington each scored three goals for F&M, and Jen Pritchard (Media, PA / Penncrest) assisted on three tallies.

In spite of the lopsided score, Gettysburg's besieged keeper Kristen Krammer turned in a stellar performance fending off a season and career-high 15 Franklin & Marshall shots. Lidia Sanza (Cockeysville, MD / SPSG) came up with 11 saves, eight in the second half, at the opposite end of the field. Four of her saves came on free position attempts. The Bullets went 0-7 from eight meters on the afternoon.

Sanza's Diplomats allowed just seven goals over the two tournament games, establishing a new benchmark for least goals allowed in the Centennial Tournament.

Gettysburg threatened a comeback in the second half with Hollis Stahl netting the period's first two goals to make it a 10-3 game, but three F&M goals over the middle third of the second half put and end to the bid. Stahl finished the game with three of Gettysburg's four goals. Krissy Browning secured the other goal in the first half. Katie Ceglarski registered three assists for Gettysburg.

The Diplomats are guaranteed a spot in the NCAA Field when it is announced next weekend. Gettysburg is likely to receive an at-large bid into the championship field as well.