LANCASTER, Pa. – The No. 3 Franklin & Marshall women's lacrosse team got its 2024 NCAA Tournament off to a great start with a 19-7 win against St. Mary's (Md.) on Sunday afternoon. After getting to celebrate graduation during a first round bye on Saturday, the Diplomats defeated the Seahawks for the second time this season to move into the Sweet 16. The first win against St. Mary's (Md.) came in a 20-10 showing during the team's trip to Florida in early March.
The Diplomats won each of the first three quarters, but were particularly strong during the start of the first and second halves when they won those first and third quarters by a combined 12-1 score. Lydia Cassilly paced the attack with seven points, tallying four goals and three assists, while Lane Lambeth added four more goals throughout the playoff victory. Nine different players scored in total for the Diplomats who also got a hat trick from Lauren Pittman. Julia Carbon and Gillian Brennnan each scored a pair of goals, with Brennan adding three more assists to rank second on the team with five points.
Franklin & Marshall scored the first five goals of Sunday's game as the hosts were holding a 5-0 lead less than seven minutes into the contest. Pittman and Cassilly each scored twice during that opening run before the Seahawks got on the board with 2:25 to play in the opening quarter.
Even with St. Mary's (Md.) getting on the scoreboard, the Diplomats increased their lead to 10-4 at the break. Lambeth scored three goals in the second quarter alone, with Adde Hollander adding her name to the score sheet just before the break.
Following a 5-0 run to start the opening half, F&M started the second half with seven consecutive goals to go up 17-4. Devyn Crone and Myranda Beebe both rattled the back of the cage during that run before Carbon added her two goals to cap a 7-0 period. Brennan and Skylar Holmes scored the Diplomats' final two goals during the fourth quarter of the eventual 19-7 final.
Franklin & Marshall finished the game with a commanding 41-25 advantage in shots, highlighted by a 39-13 edge during the first 45 minutes of game action. The Diplomats also dominated the draw with a 23-5 advantage in that category. Sarah Bowyer won eight draw controls for the Diplomats, with Pittman and Lambeth coming up with four of their own.
The Diplomats' goalies all saw action on Sunday, combining for eight saves while conceding just the seven goals. Alyssa Moran played the first three periods and came away with five stops in the win before Sara DiGiovanni and Mary Scally each saw action during the fourth quarter. In addition to a huge advantage in draw controls, F&M held the Seahawks to 15-of-23 on their clear attempts. Seven different players caused a turnover for the Diplomats throughout the NCAA Tournament win, while Pittman led her side with four ground balls.
Following today's victory, the Diplomats now advance to the Sweet 16 where they will play No. 12 Roanoke on Saturday, May 18. The time and location of next weekend's regional championship – which also features No. 4 Tufts and a Denison squad that is receiving votes in the national polls – will be announced in the coming day.
