Box Score SALEM, Va. - 62 seconds away from defeat, Franklin &
Marshall's Cat Serpe streaked into the Salisbury eight-meter fan
and dumped the ball inside of the right post. Serpe's shot salvaged
the season and sent the 2009 NCAA Division III National
Championships into overtime. 162 seconds later, Blake Hargest
cashed in on the second life to deliver the Diplomats (21-1) an
11-10 win over the Sea Gulls (20-2) and their second NCAA
Championship in three years.
2:40 into overtime, Hargest camped on the front of the goal
circle. She collected a Sarah Meisenberg feed from behind the net
and buried her shot from point blank. Jen Pritchard took the
ensuing draw and started the Diplomats on a successful stall that
killed the remaining 20 seconds of the first half of overtime.
Meisenberg then won the draw that started the second overtime
period, and led a three-minute stall to the title.
Serpe's goal marked the eighth tie of the contest, while
Hargest's goal represented the sixth and final lead change. Neither
team led by more than two goals, largely because of outstanding
work by both keepers and defenses. Salisbury's Sonja Stuart
stood tall throughout rolling up 10 saves and denying repeated
Diplomat quick sticks - often in sprawling fashion. At the other
end, Lidia Sanza was equally impressive, turning away eight Sea
Gull advances, including a point blank shot at the top of the goal
circle just inside of 12 minutes to play.
The keepers were especially dominant in the opening minutes.
Meagan Osipowich's goal off of an F&M turnover 1:23 in was the
only marker until Meisenberg knotted it up at the 13-minute mark.
It was the first of two Meisenberg goals in the game, both coming
in the first half. Her second goal was a 12-meter run through the
heart of the Salisbury defense, which gave F&M a 4-2 lead with
slightly less than ten minutes left in the first half.
Meisenberg's goal was answered by Courtney Sorensen, starting a
Salisbury three-goal run to the half. The run, which made it 5-4 at
the half, saw Osipowich add her second of the game and a Logan
Bilderback tally on the free position. The Gulls made good on four
of their six eight meter attempts.
F&M answered on the other side of the break when two of the
three-leading point getters in F&M history went to work.
Shannon Summers worked out from behind both sides of the net for
unassisted goals. Her tallies served as bookends to Jen Pritchard's
first goal of the game. Pritchard's tally extended her scoring
streak to 69 games, and marked the 83rd time in 84 games
she scored at least a goal. Pritchard rolled up two more in the
half, both fed by Shannon Summers from behind.
Pritchard's second goal gave F&M a 9-8 lead, but it didn't
last for long. Salisbury scored twice moments apart, necessitating
Serpe's heroics. A Meisenberg caused turnover provided F&M's
game tying possession.
The Diplomats' defense held Salisbury's top two scorers without
a goal, including Beth Rhodey, who was marked by Devi Hensch
throughout the contest.
The victory makes Franklin & Marshall's women's lacrosse
team the first program to earn a second national championship at
the college and avenged F&M's only loss of the season. It also
made first-year coach, Laruen Paul, the first coach to win a
national championship in women's lacrosse in her first season.
F&M All Tournament Selections
Blake Hargest | Sarah Meisenberg | Jen Prithcard - Most
Outstanding Player | Lidia Sanza | Shannon Summers
Franklin & Marshall (21-1) vs. Salisbury
(20-2)
SCORE BY PERIOD 1 2
OT Tot
Franklin & Marshall. 4 6 1 - 11
Salisbury........... 5 5 0 - 10
Franklin & Marshall SCORING: GOALS: Jen Pritchard 4; Shannon
Summers 2; Sarah Meisenberg 2; Blake Hargest 1; Meredith Lussier 1;
Cat Serpe 1. ASSISTS: Shannon Summers 2; Blake Hargest 1; Sarah
Meisenberg 1.
Salisbury SCORING: GOALS: Courtney Sorenson 3; Logan Bilderback
2; Ashleigh Gender 2; Meagan Osipowich 2; Aileen McCausland
1. ASSISTS: Logan Bilderback 1.
Franklin & Marshall GROUND BALLS: Lidia Sanza 3; Paulette
Cutruzzula 2; Cat Serpe 2; Ashley Bevington 1; Devi Hensch 1; Sarah
Meisenberg 1; Allison Solomon 1; Shannon Summers 1.
Salisbury GROUND BALLS: Sonja Stuart 4; Ashleigh Gender 2;
Maddie Goetz 2; Sarah McKinley 2; Logan Bilderback 1; Sarah Maggio
1; Beth Rhodey 1.
Franklin & Marshall TURNOVERS CAUSED: Devi Hensch 3; Ashley
Bevington 1; Paulette Cutruzzula 1; Sarah Meisenberg 1; Amanda
Miceli 1; Sarah Nyman 1; Cat Serpe 1.
Salisbury TURNOVERS CAUSED: Maddie Goetz 2; Holly Johnson 2;
Logan Bilderback 1; Aileen McCausland 1.
SHOTS - Franklin & Marshall 34; Salisbury 23.
SHOTS ON GOAL - Franklin & Marshall 21; Salisbury 18.
TURNOVERS - Franklin & Marshall 9; Salisbury 13.
CLEARS - Franklin & Marshall 11-15; Salisbury 15-16.
GOALIES - F&MW: Lidia Sanza 19-1 (66:00 minutes, 18 shots-8
saves, 10 GA); SAL: Sonja Stuart 19-2 (66:00, 21-10, 11).
