LANCASTER, Pa. – No. 18 Franklin & Marshall dropped a heart-breaking 8-7 double overtime decision to Susquehanna Wednesday evening in non-conference men's lacrosse action. The Diplomats fell to 2-2 while the Crusaders picked up their first win over F&M and improved to 6-0 this season.

F&M took a 6-5 edge int0 the fourth quarter before Chet McLaughlin struck on a man-up goal midway through the period to tie the game at 6-6. Chad Gamble answered four minutes later when he found the back of the net to put the Diplomats back up 7-6. F&M came away with the ball on the ensuing faceoff, but the turned the ball over and Jake Calder made the best of the situation for Susquehanna with a goal at 43 seconds to send the game into overtime tied at 7-7.

Both teams possessed the ball in the first overtime and were able to take shot, but each team's shot went wide. F&M won the faceoff in the second overtime and turned the ball over only to force a turnover on the other end to get the ball back. Chad Gamble fired a shot that went wide and Teddy Bossidy fired one off at 1:19 that was stopped by Jared Knowlton. The Crusaders cleared the ball and caught F&M in transition and Carmen Rarocha took a shot down middle and past F&M keeper Timothy Mattessich for the game winner.

Rarocha put the Crusaders up early with a goal at 10:10 in the first before Read Zeigler evened the game at 1-1 with an unassisted tally at 9:01. The Crusaders went up 2-1 with a little over five minutes left in the second, but F&M answered with three straight to go up 4-2 at 12:16 in the second frame. Teddy Bossidy started the run with a score at 2:18 in the first and Zeigler picked up his second four minutes later before Sean Rogers finished things off with a goal at 12:16 in the second.

Susquehanna came with in a score at 6:59 and Rogers put the Diplomats back up two, 5-3, at 5:17, but McLaughlin found twine a few minutes later to make 5-4 heading into the break.

Chad Gamble put the Diplomats up 6-4 early in the third and Reardon snuck one through with 1:35 left in the third to make it 6-5, which set up the final 22 minutes of action.

Chad Gamble, Rogers and Zeigler all finished with two goals each and Teddy Bossidy struck once of the Diplomats.

Connor Melillo caused three turnovers and collected three ground balls to pace the defense while Nicholas Zenobio caused two turnovers and finished with three ground balls.

Mattessich took the loss with five saves and dropped to 2-2 while Knowlton picked up the win with 14 stops and improved to 6-0.

F&M outshot Susquehanna 47-26, held a 21-19 edge in ground balls and went 14-for-16 on clear attempts.

The Diplomats return to action on Saturday when F&M takes on Albright at 7:00 p.m. at Alvernia University.