LANCASTER, Pa. – The Franklin & Marshall men's soccer team (1-0) opened the 2024 season with a 5-0 victory over Lancaster Bible (0-1) in Friday evening's non-conference matchup. The Diplomats scored four goals in the second half with three of those scores coming from first-year players.

A minute into the game, Adam Green sent a shot at the Chargers net that was saved by goalkeeper Jackson Clough. However, Wes Wise cleaned up the rebound and buried a shot in the left side of the net for the Diplomats' first score of the season.

Despite the early goal, neither team found the back of the net for the rest of the half as F&M outshot LBC, 6-3, in the first 45 minutes of play.

In the 56th minute, the Diplomats added insurance as Koa Kaliebe found Thomas Kaplan for the first-year defender to score his first-career goal. Franklin & Marshall continued to attack the net as Kole Wintersteen capitalized on a pass from Isaac Mintz in the 72nd minute for his first-collegiate goal - placing the Diplomats ahead, 3-0.

Nathan Schlessinger scored his first goal of 2024 and sixth-career goal as he put a shot in the net during the 78th minute of play off an assist from Jack Nury. The Diplomats had their fifth goal of the game come off the foot of Beckett Aufderhaar in the 88th minute with Regan Pelletier recording an assist on the play. The goal was Aufderhaar's first-career score and Pelletier's first-career assist.

Franklin & Marshall sent a total of 18 shots with eight on target in the win. Jack Borden and Green each tallied four shots in the game with Green leading the Diplomats with two shots on goal.

Nolan Booth only faced one shot on net in the win as he recorded his lone save in the 30th minute of the match.

Franklin & Marshall looks to keep rolling to start the new season when it plays Lynchburg Sunday at 2:00 p.m.