LANCASTER, Pa. – The No. 9 Franklin & Marshall men's lacrosse team improved to a perfect 3-0 on the young season behind another dominant victory on Saturday afternoon. The Diplomts raced out to a 10-0 lead after just one quarter against visiting Messiah before rolling to the 18-5 win. F&M has now outscored its opponents 56-17 over the last eight days.

James Moroney recorded his second hat trick of the season with three first quarter goals as Blake Target, A.J. Rigsby, and Will DeMuth all tallied multiple goals. Thirteen different players rattled the back of the cage during Saturday's non-conference victory as the Diplomats held a 51-15 advantage in shots over the contest.

The goals came fast and furious during the opening minutes as the Diplomats scored just 2:35 into the contest and never went more than two minutes without another tally during the remainder of the period. Maroney's hat trick took just under seven minutes between his first and final goals. Colin Hueston scored his first goal of the season during the first quarter, with Eddy Madden registering a goal for the third consecutive game. Target scored his two goals during the first quarter, giving him eight on the year and matching Kai Kelly's season total after his goal against the Falcons.

Will Mulligan scored his second goal of the season during the second quarter, while DeMuth and Rigsby found their second goals during the third period of action. Franklin & Marshall wrapped up the game with five more fourth quarter goals, including the first career tallies for Adam Soper, Ryan Roberts, and Charlie Bernicker. Kyle Russell and Charlie Bernicker each tallied their second goals of the season during the final 15 minutes.

On the defensive end, the Diplomats forced 12 turnovers and limited Messiah to just 12-of-19 on its clear attempts. Noah Isaacson and Kyle Craig each had a pair of caused turnovers to lead those defensive efforts. Sage Garito made four saves over the first three periods before Lachlan Barber and George Rioseco capped the victory in the cage during the fourth period. Twelve different players collected multiple ground balls, with the Diplomats holding a 46-25 edge in that category. Four GBs from Garito, Target, and Soper highlighted that hustle. The Diplomats additionally won 17 of the 27 face-offs, with Connor Helm (11-for-15) and Soper (5-for-7) both having solid days at the face-off X.

Men's lacrosse continues its homestand this coming Wednesday. March 2 with a 7 p.m. game under the lights against Elizabethtown. Franklin & Marshall has just that one game next week before wrapping up its extended stay at home with another Wednesday game against Kenyon inside Shadek Stadium the following week.