ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. - No. 10 Franklin & Marshall dropped a 2-1 decision to host Elizabethtown on Friday afternoon in the season opener for both squads. The Diplomats fall to 0-1, while the Blue Jays begin the year at 1-0.

Each of the three goals in the contest came from penalty corners, with Steph McDonald giving the Diplomats the initial lead in the 17th minute. Dana Venditti slid a pass to McDonald at the upper left part of the circle, and the senior defender buried it home to give F&M a 1-0 edge.

The Blue Jays answered back in the 24th minute with a penalty corner score of their own to square things up at 1-1. Kaylee Werner fired a shot into the cage for Elizabethtown after a quick pass off the corner from Nadine Yunginger.

The two sides remained deadlocked at 1-1 late into the second stanza, before Werner delivered again for Elizabethtown with just over two minutes left on the clock. Kendra Hudson fed Werner at the top of the circle and Werner notched the game-winner into the lower-right corner of goal.

Avery Koep (0-1) played the full 70 minutes at goalkeeper for the Diplomats, tallying two saves. The Blue Jays' Lindy Hamp (1-0) earned the win in net with one save on the day.

Elizabethtown held a slight advantage in both shots (11-9) and penalty corners (11-9).

The Diplomats return to action on Tuesday at Eastern in another non-conference matchup. Game time is set for 4:00 p.m.

No. 10 F&M (0-1) vs. Elizabethtown (1-0)

Goals by period       1  2  Tot
 -------------------------------
 F&M.................  1  0 -  1
 Elizabethtown.......  1  1 -  2
 
 SCORING SUMMARY:
  1.  17:12 F&M Steph McDonald (1) (Dana Venditti) - Pen. Corner pass to upper left of circle
  2.  24:30 ETWN-F Kaylee Werner (1) (Nadine Yunginger) - Pen. Corner out to top of circle, 20 quick pass left, 24 shot
  3.  67:49 ETWN-F Kaylee Werner (2) (Kendra Hudson) - 4 pen. corner out to center top of circle, 24 shot in lower right

 Shots: F&M 9, Elizabethtown 11
 Saves: F&M 2 (Avery Koep 2), Elizabethtown 1 (Lindy Hamp 1)