Box Score LANCASTER, Pa. – Megan Kelly's first goal of the season at the 30th minute mark in the first half proved to be all that Franklin & Marshall needed in a 1-0 defeat of Gettysburg on Wednesday evening in Centennial Conference (CC) field hockey action at Tylus Field.
The Diplomats improved to 14-1 on the season and tightened their hold on the CC lead at 8-0, while the Bullets fell to 8-6, 3-5 CC.
A shot by Tamara Mills in the 29th minute of the first half snuck by Gettysburg goalkeeper Alexis Barlow (8-4) but was contained by defender Christina Wright who dropped to her knees and prevented the ball from entering the cage.
Wright's defensive save shot the ball back into the circle where Kelly settled for the shot, took a step to her right, and fired the opportunity into the cage to put F&M on top at 1-0.
The first half goal culminated a dominating effort from the Diplomats in the opening stanza, as F&M outshot the Bullets at 16-0 and forced Barlow to turn back seven shots through the first 35 minutes of play.
The Diplomats continued to control possession throughout the second half, outshooting Gettysburg 8-3 and making a slew of outstanding defensive plays to keep the Bullets off the board.
With just eight minutes remaining on the clock, a Gettysburg breakaway started at midfield and looked to spell trouble for F&M when the Bullets rushed down the left side for a seemingly wide-open opportunity.
However, defender Bethany Vincent was there to cut off the scoring chance, holding off the Gettysburg rush until backup arrived to clear the play and preserve the shutout.
The Diplomats outshot the Bullets at 24-3 for the contest and held the edge on penalty corners at 13-2.
Gettysburg combined for three defensive saves on the evening, led by two from Wright. Goalkeeper Avery Koep (13-1) came away with the shutout victory after stopping a pair of shots. Barlow was charged with the loss after turning away 11 shots from the F&M offense.
Maria Guarisco paced the Diplomats with nine shots, four of which were on goal, while Audrey Buckman also recorded four shots on goal.
F&M returns to the field on Saturday when the Diplomats host Dickinson at 12:00 p.m.
