Box Score ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. – For the sixth straight season Franklin & Marshall field hockey took on Elizabethtown in its season opener, and for the fifth time in six years the Diplomats came out on top, claiming a 2-1 victory on Thursday night in Elizabethtown. The No. 5 Diplomats moved to 1-0 with the win, while the Blue Jays fell to 0-1 on the year.
The opening minutes saw F&M take control early, firing off four shots before Elizabethtown notched its first attempt on goal. The Diplomats made the pressure pay just 6:29 into the game, when an F&M corner resulted in a shot from Emily Nagle. Nagle's effort required a save by Blue Jay goalkeeper Margo Donlin, and Annie Horsley pounced on the rebound to give the Diplomats an early 1-0 lead.
Elizabethtown produced its first offensive threats in the moments following F&M's tally, but the Diplomats extended their lead in the 21st minute as Phoebe Wood tallied F&M's second of the game. Following a penalty corner, Katherine Kistler's pass found Melanie Consiglio in tight, with Consiglio finding Wood at the left post for a 2-0 F&M lead.
Back-and-forth action for the remaining minutes of the first half produced shots and corners for both sides, but at halftime the score remained 2-0 Diplomats. A 7-2 deficit in corners and a 7-4 edge in shots favored F&M at the break.
The Blue Jays found their way back into the game after 13 minutes of action in the second half, as Elizabethtown's Megan Eppley scored on a penalty corner from Nicole Leaf. However, the Diplomat defense held firm and allowed the Blue Jays just one corner and zero shots in the remaining 21 minutes. At the final horn, F&M tallied its first win of the season, 2-1.
Diplomat goalkeeper Ilianna Santangelo moved to 1-0 on the year as she logged six saves on seven shots. Donlin fell to 0-1 on the season after recording four saves in 35 minutes, before being replaced by Hannah Mack for the second half.
At the final whistle, the shot count (13-7) and corner count (14-8) both favored F&M. Consiglio paced the Diplomats with three shots, while Wood, Horsley, and Sydney Cole all tallied two attempts.
F&M returns to the field on Saturday as Rowan comes to town for a 12:00 p.m. matchup.
