LANCASTER, Pa. – Jack Luviano's goal with six seconds remaining in regulation gave the Franklin & Marshall men's lacrosse team a 10-9 win against visiting Kenyon on Saturday afternoon inside Shadek Stadium. That game-winning goal capped a back-and-fourth contest that saw the score tied on seven different occasions before the Diplomats secured the final strike.
Luviano's goal – which was his second of the afternoon – came after the Owls had tied the score at nine-all with 6:54 remaining in regulation. Luviano joined Mason Montrella as F&M's multi-goal scorers during the non-conference showdown as both players finished with two goals and one assist. Kai Kelly assisted on the game-winning goal and added three more points to the offensive totals (1 goal, 2 assists) as seven different Franklin & Marshall players found the back of the cage during the victory.
Saturday's non-conference clash was tied all six times as the score climbed to 6-6 midway through the third quarter. Dillon Mannix and Kelly were F&M's goal scorers during the first quarter, while Montrella, Liam Timmins, and Christian Sullivan helped give F&M a slight 5-4 edge at the half. Montrella got his second goal of the game at the start of the second half.
The Diplomats' held a two-goal advantage for the first time all afternoon when Ryan Roberts and Luviano scored back-to-back goals just 1:53 apart during the third quarter. Colin Hueston helped F&M match that two goal lead at 9-7 when he rattled the cage just under 90 seconds into the fourth quarter. However, the Owls tied the score with two goals in a span of 43 seconds which set up the thrilling finish.
During that remaining regulation time, the Diplomats successfully killed the only penalty of the game while each team had five possessions to try and find the game-winning goal. Franklin & Marshall took advantage of that final chance as it turned Kenyon over with 40 seconds remaining in regulation and set up the winning play from Luviano following a timeout at the 36 second mark.
While the defense certainly came up with a number of key stops during the fourth quarter, that unit was an overall strength for the Diplomats throughout the contest. Sage Garito stopped 18 of the 27 shots on goal he faced, with his counterpart making 12 saves. Kevin O'Connor and Drew Martin each caused two turnovers in front of F&M's goalie. Pierce Archer led the Diplomats with four ground balls.
Today's game marked the final in a stretch of six consecutive home contests to start the 2024 season. The Diplomats head out on the road for the first time this year when they travel to Roanoke on Wednesday for a 4 p.m. start. However, they will have to wait just one week for their next home game as Elizabethtown comes to Shadek Stadium on March 16 in a 12 p.m. opening faceoff.
