March 4, 2008

Box Score

GLASSBORO, NJ - Ashley Bevington scored a game-high five goals and Blake Hargest also registered five points with four goals and one assist to lead top-ranked Franklin & Marshall to a 15-8 season-opening victory over Rowan in non-conference women's lacrosse action on Tuesday.

The Diplomats (1-0) picked up where they left off with their first win in 2008, marking their 22nd straight after going undefeated last season (21-0). Shannon Summers added a goal and five assists for a game-high six points.

Kelly Angstadt tallied three goals for the Profs (1-1), including two on free-position shots while Lauren Crennan recorded two goals and one assist.

F&M scored the first 14 out of 18 goals, using a 10-1 run over a 19-minute span to take a commanding 14-4 lead to hand Rowan its first loss of the season.

It took Summers just 14 seconds to find the back of the net for the first of three straight goals by the Diplomats. Bevington followed with the second goal two minutes, seven seconds later and returning leading scorer Jen Pritchard made it 3-0 off a pass from Hargest.

Angstadt put Rowan on the board at the 17:42 mark with a free-position goal. F&M responded off the draw control, getting a goal from Hargest thanks to Laura Ruppersberger's her first collegiate assist for a 4-1 edge.

The Profs scored the next two goals to pull within one, but the Diplomats tallied five more goals in two minutes, 50 seconds to end the half with a 9-4 lead. Sarah Meisenberg, who just finished her basketball season on Saturday, finished an 8-meter shot and turned out to feed Bevington just 17 seconds apart. Bevington added two more goals and Summers handed out two more assists before halftime.

F&M scored five straight to open the second half to take a 10-goal advantage, getting two from Pritchard. Rowan answered with four consecutive goals to cut the lead to 14-8, however, the Profs could not get any closer and the Diplomats squeezed in the final goal on a Summers, Hargest combination with 42 ticks left.

Lidia Sanza made 12 saves in the cage, while Alicia Mannino tallied five stops in each half for the Profs.

F&M held a 14-11 edge in draw controls and 37-30 shot advantage.

The Diplomats return to action on Saturday in their home opener against Washington & Lee. Game time is 1 p.m.