Box Score Box Score
CHESTERTOWN, Md. – Three goals in the opening 10 minutes of play - including a pair of penalty-kick scores – highlighted the Franklin & Marshall No. 6 ranked men's soccer team's commanding 4-1 win over Washington College on the road Saturday afternoon.
The Centennial Conference (CC) victory improved the Diplomats to 13-2, 6-1 CC on the year while the Shoremen dropped to 7-7-1, 1-5-1 CC.
F&M remains in first place in the CC standings with just two regular-season competitions remaining. The Diplomats control their own destiny for hosting rights and can wrap up the No. 1 seed by winning out.
Two penalty-kick chances in the opening five minutes of competition were both converted by A.J. Kopacz for his team-leading eighth and ninth tallies of the season to give F&M a quick two-goal advantage.
Only three minutes ticked off the scoreboard before the Diplomats put the game out of reach by taking the 3-0 lead. J.T. Mogan set up the play with a pass into the 18-yard box that Alex Lalovic placed into the back of the net from 12 yards away.
Washington finally answered in the 26th to pull within two at 3-1, but another F&M penalty-kick score in the 35th – this time by Steven Yakita – put the momentum firmly back on the Diplomats' side.
All four of F&M's scores occurred in the first half – with three being penalty-kick goals - as the Diplomat defense shut down the Shoremen in the second.
Overall, the shot count favored Washington by a 13-10 margin, while the Diplomats held a 5-1 advantage in corners. Kopacz led the way with four shots, followed by Yakita with three.
Goalkeeper Christopher Amoruso (13-2) recorded one save in the first half and was replaced by Sebastian Jenkins in the second, who tallied five saves through 45 minutes of play.
F&M hits the road to battle Gettysburg on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.
