Franklin & Marshall returns to Centennial Conference (CC) Postseason action for the second straight year after capturing its first conference championship in 2013. The road to this season's title will run through Lancaster for the first time in seven years as F&M secured the regular-season crown and the No. 1 seed following a spectacular 15-0-2, 8-0-1 CC unbeaten record in the regular season.

Series History: The Diplomats dealt Haverford a 4-1 bashing earlier this season on Oct. 25, snapping a three-game losing streak to the Fords. These teams last met in the playoffs in 2011 when Haverford downed F&M by a 3-2 score in the first round. 

A Look at the Field: After ending the regular season with an 8-0-1 mark, the Diplomats enter the tournament with a 2-0-1 record against the team's remaining in the CC Tournament field.  F&M has taken down No. 2 Muhlenberg 1-0 in 2OT (Oct. 3), tied No. 3 Dickinson 0-0 (Nov. 1) and dominated No. 4 Haverford 4-1 (Oct. 25). On Wednesday, No. 4 Haverford edged No. 5 Johns Hopkins to advance out of the first round. 

Last Week: F&M wrapped up home-field advantage last week with a pair of shutouts after blanking Gettysburg by a 1-0 score on Wednesday and battling Dickinson to a 0-0 2OT tie on Saturday. 

Against Gettysburg, Janse Schermerhorn's goal in the 26^th minute proved to be enough as the Diplomats hung on for the one-goal victory. F&M held the edge in shots at 12-9, despite Gettysburg owning the 8-5 advantage in the second frame. Corners belonged to the Diplomats at 6-0, with three coming in each half. Devon Malfitano, Chase TenBrook and Schermerhorn each notched a pair of shots on the evening. 

To view highlights of this contest, click here.

On Saturday against Dickinson, Trevor Britton (15-0-2) was a force in net throughout the contest, stopping five shots for his 11th shutout of the season and the team's 12th of the year. Sam Lane paced the offense with six shots, followed by four from TenBrook and three from Jared Bomba. F&M held the edge for the game at 24-11, while also leading on corners at 9-5. 

In the Rankings: F&M moved up to No. 4 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/ Continental Tire NCAA Division III Men's Poll. Muhlenberg is the only other CC representative in the rankings at No. 17. To view the top-25 poll, click here. 

The Diplomats also sit at No. 4 in the D3Soccer.com Top-25 Poll. Messiah received all 25 first-place votes to stay at the No. 1 spot. To view the complete top-25, click here. 

In the Mid Atlantic Regional Rankings, F&M places No. 2 behind only Messiah. Muhlenberg (No. 3), Lycoming (No. 4) and Dickinson (No. 5) round out the top five. 

CC POW: After tying a pair of program single-season records last week and notching two of his conference-leading 11 shutouts, Britton was named the CC Defensive Player of the Week. The honor was his second of the season and the Diplomats' fifth weekly conference accolade of 2014. 

Record Book Watch: With eight game-winning goals in his career, Bomba is in sole possession of third on the program's all-time list. Men's soccer's all-time leader is Ben Beaver '13, who netted 20 game-winners in his storied career. Teammate Sam Lane is not far behind, placing in a tie for fifth with five in his career. 

Lane has also recorded 16 assists during his time as a Diplomat, a mark that places him eighth all-time. The senior forward needs only two more helpers to move into the top five. Brandon Corday '07 occupies the top spot on the list, notching 25 assists while in Lancaster.

Britton claimed a pair of single-season program records last week thanks to his stellar play in net. The junior goalkeeper has 11 shutouts on the season, a mark that matched T.J. White for first, who tied the record last season. Britton's 15 wins on the season are also tied for first all-time, a record that White also set last season. 

Among the Leaders (CC): TenBrook's 19 points are tied for fifth, while his eight goals are good for sixth in the CC. Britton stands first among goalkeepers with his 0.40 goals against average, 11 shutouts, and .857 save percentage. 

As a team, The Diplomats' 34 goals in 2014 are tied for the second-highest total in the conference, behind only Dickinson with 37. F&M has only allowed seven tallies on the year, a mark that places first in the CC. 

Among the Leaders (NCAA): F&M's impressive statistics put them among the leaders in the NCAA as well. The Diplomats' shutout percentage of 71 percent is fourth in the nation along with their goals against average of 0.40. Individually, Britton is 10th in goals against average at 0.40 allowed per game. 

Playing the Right Way: Through 17 games F&M has only received 10 yellow cards, which is the least in the CC. The Diplomats have also not been handed a red card in 2014, along with four other CC teams, and have not received one since the 2011 season. 

Tylus Win Streak: Entering play this weekend, F&M has not dropped a contest at home since Oct. 2, 2013 in a 2-1 overtime loss to Ursinus, a streak that spans 12 contests. The last loss at home during regulation occurred way back on Sept. 22, 2012 in a 1-0 defeat by Haverford, a mark that now rests at 22 consecutive games.