LANCASTER, Pa. – Fresh off its Centennial Conference Championship, No. 1 Franklin & Marshall begins the NCAA Tournament this Sunday inside Shadek Stadium at 4 p.m. against either No. 16 William Smith (8-4) or Meredith (11-3). William Smith and Meredith will meet Saturday at 5:30 p.m. on F&M's campus, with the winner advancing to face the Diplomats during the tournament's second round.
Season Links
NCAA Tournament Information
NCAA Tournament Second Round
Sunday, May 9 | 4 p.m. | Shadek Stadium
No. 16 William Smith or Meredith at No. 5 Franklin & Marshall
Series Record: William Smith leads F&M, 3-2 (last meeting was 2007)
Last F&M Victory: 17-9; March 15, 2007
Last William Smith Victory: 11-8; March 15, 2005
* F&M has never met Meredith.
LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS
Spectators
Each participating institution will be limited to two (2) spectators per student-athlete and coach. No general admission tickets will be sold.
Masks and physical distancing are required at all times on campus and in Shadek Stadium. Additional health and safety protocols for spectators will be sent directly to participating institutions.
Tailgating is not permitted at any time, and spectators must depart the facility and campus following the conclusion of the contest.
Live video and live stats to follow all of this weekend's first and second round action will be available on GoDiplomats.com.
Series History
Franklin & Marshall first met William Smith in 1994 when the Herons emerged a 16-14 winner during the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The two teams did not meet again for 10 years before playing four straight years in Florida. F&M has won the last two meetings but the all-time series has been dormant since 2007. Should Meredith advance from Saturday's contest, it would mark the first-ever meeting between the Diplomats and the Avenging Angels.
F&M's Road
Franklin & Marshall is one of 14 teams in this year's NCAA Tournament with an undefeated record. The Diplomats have held the No. 1 ranking in the IWLCA poll since their season began back in March. They won the Centennial Conference Championship with a victory over then-No. 5 Gettysburg, 20-17, to claim their eighth Centennial Conference Championship in program history. It was the team's first CC title since the 2017 season.
William Smith's Road (William Smith Preview)
The Herons are making their fifth straight and 21st overall NCAA appearance. William Smith is 8-4 this year and earned an automatic bid to the tournament after winning the Liberty League title for the fifth straight time.
Meredith's Road (Meredith Preview)
Meredith enters this year's tournament with an overall record of 11-3, sweeping the USA South in both the regular season and postseason, winning the USA South tournament, 26-8, over Piedmont. It was the seventh straight USA South Tournament Championship, and seventh straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
F&M in the Tournament
The Diplomats are making their 22nd NCAA Tournament appearance all-time. Franklin & Marshall is a perfect 6-0 in second round matchups of the NCAA Tournament, with all of those previews contests coming on its home field. The Diplomats are 20-1 all-time when playing on their home field in NCAA Tournament action. The Diplomats are 34-19 all-time in NCAA Tournament contests, winning national championships during the 2007 and 2009 seasons. In the Diplomats' seven previous NCAA Tournament appearances under head coach Mike Faith, F&M has made it to at least the Regional Final in all but one season. That includes trips to the national semifinals in 2016 and 2017.
William Smith in the Tournament
Making its 21st appearance all-time at the NCAA Tournament, William Smith has played for the national championship five times in program history, but the last time was during the 1995 season to cap a run of four straight appeances in the national championship. The Herons have advanced to the national semifinals 11 times, with the most recent being the 2003 campaign. William Smith fell to Bowdoin in the second round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament in what was the most recent tournament before this season.
Meredith in the Tournament
Meredith has advanced to the NCAA Tournament every year since 2013. They advanced to the second round during the 2018 tournament as they defeated Merchant Marine before falling to Salisbury.
Weekend Schedule
First Round (Saturday, May 8)
11:30 a.m. - Catholic vs. Becker (Live video | Live stats)
2:30 p.m. - St. John Fisher vs. Cazenovia (Live video | Live stats)
5:30 p.m. - William Smith vs. Meredith (Live video | Live stats)
Second Round (Sunday, May 9)
1 p.m. - Catholic/Becker vs. St. John Fisher/Cazenovia (Live video | Live stats TBD)
4 p.m. - Franklin & Marshall vs. William Smith/Meredith (Live video | Live stats)
With seven teams set to descend upon Lancaster this weekend, two of those squads will advance to the NCAA Regional Semifinals, which will be hosted by Washington & Lee the following weekend. The two advancing teams will meet in the regional semifinal, which is slated for Saturday, May 15. The regional championship will also be held at Washington & Lee on Sunday, May 16. Kerr Stadium in Salem, Virginia will serve as the host site of the NCAA Semifinals and NCAA Championship. Championship weekend is set for Saturday, May 22 and Sunday, May 23.
Rankings
F&M has been ranked No. 1 in the country for the last eight weeks. The Diplomats have held that spot since the week their season began back in March. William Smith moved up three spots to No. 16 in the IWLCA poll, following its 17-13 win against then seventh-ranked Ithaca in the conference championship game. Meredith is not ranked in this week's IWLCA Poll.
Complete poll
Quick Look at F&M
Franklin & Marshall just had a program-record nine players named to the All-Centennial Conference team, highlighted by midfielder of the year Marissa McGarrey and defender of the year Mary Pat McKenna. Ally Marino (attack) and Emily Kitchin (goalie) were also first-team All-CC selections. Three attackers, Megan Jackson, Maddy Birch, and Kate McLam were named second-team All-CC, joining midfielder Tabitha Rodriguez and defender Erin Phillips in earning those honors. Kitchin and Jackson are both returning All-Americans for the Diplomats.
The Diplomats bring the 10th-best scoring defense in Division III into the weekend as they are allowed just 5.29 goals per game. They had not given up more than six goals in a game prior to their showdown with Gettysburg. F&M's 17.14 goals per game on attack ranks 20th in Division III. Emily Kitchin ranks eighth in the country in GAA (5.44) and 10th in save percentage (.582).
Quick Look at William Smith (team stats)
William Smith is led by sophomore Maddie Montgomery who was recently named the Liberty League Tournament's Most Outstanding Player. She has 41 goals, six assists and 47 points. Defensively the Herons are led by the duo of senior Mekayla Montgomery and Ellen Arena. The William Smith defense led the Liberty League in scoring defense (9.25) and caused turnovers per game (10.92). First-year Maddie Bamberger has played the majority of the minutes in goal and is 8-2 with a conference-leading 8.21 GAA.
Quick Look at Meredith (team stats)
The Avenging Angels have eight players with double-digit goals, led by Lilia Cruz's 59, followed by Olivia Blake's 47. Cruz was named USA South Offensive Player of the Year, as well as the USA South Tournament MVP. Cruz also leads the team with 93 draw controls, with USA South Rookie of the Year Jessica Dowdy second on the team with 83. Junior Maya Flake paces the squad with assists 49. Flake's 3.5 assists/game are good for ninth nationally. Defensively, USA South Defensive Player of the Year Joy Deitrich has earned all 11 wins in goal.
Meredith is averaging 19.29 goals per game into play this weekend, making them the sixth-highest scoring offense in the country. Avenging Angels win just over 17 draw controls per contest, the 10th best average this season. They are winning games by an average of nearly 12 goals, giving the team the 11th best scoring margin in Division III.
