LANCASTER, Pa.- Caitlin Hoover's program-record setting fifth career hat-trick guided the No. 17 Franklin & Marshall field hockey team (9-2, 2-0 Centennial Conference) past visiting Gettysburg (6-5, 1-1 Centennial Conference) in a 6-2 victory on Wednesday evening

In addition to Hoover's three goals, Hannah Fitzgerald her her second-straight game with multiple goal-scoring contributions, posting four points on a goal and two assists. Keira Boensch and Megan Dadio had one goal, while Molly Donadoni posted an assist. Meghan Dole made six stops in the cage.

The Bullets generated the majority of the chances in a scoreless first quarter, outshooting F&M 5-1. The Diplomats' lone shot came when Hoover forced a save after dribbling past her defender for a close-range chance in the seventh minute. Gettysburg also generated four penalty corners in the first 15 minutes. 

Boensch opened the scoring with two minutes left in a second quarter that featured just four overall shots. After receiving a pass from Hoover's stick-stop, Boensch's initial shot was blocked before she was first to the loose ball, shooting high and past the goalkeeper. F&M outshot Gettysburg 3-1 in the second quarter. 

Hoover struck for all three of her goals in the third quarter to become the program's leader in career hat-tricks, marking her fifth three-goal performance. Her first goal came four minutes into the period as the Diplomats drew a penalty stroke opportunity. Stepping up to the spot for the first time this season, Hoover slotted the ball to the top-right corner to double F&M's lead. The second goal came from a successful counterpress in the middle third, as Fitzgerald seized an errant pass before slotting a pass to Hoover who executed with a shot to the bottom-right corner. Hoover scored unassisted for her third goal, pressing high and dispossessing a Gettysburg defender and going low and left on her one-on-one chance to complete the hat-trick. 

The Bullet closed the gap to 4-1 with 30 seconds to go in the third quarter following sustained pressure from a penalty corner, working the ball across the face of goal to an unmarked player at the far post.

The Diplomats added to their lead with two goals in the fourth quarter. Fitzgerald scored the fifth goal early into the fourth quarter, as Maya Rorick played a ball into the circle from a penalty corner and Donadoni directed the ball towards Fitzgerald for a close-range goal. Dadio's goal minutes later came via a penalty corner, as Boensch played a low-cross to Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald then directed a pass to Dadio at the near post, and she out-dueled a Gettysburg defender to extend the Franklin & Marshall lead to 6-1. Gettysburg added a consolation goal from a penalty corner in the final minute to close out the scoreline at 6-2.

Across the contest, Gettysburg outshot the Diplomats 18-17, although they only put eight shots on target against 15 from the Diplomats. The Diplomats also drew 10 penalty corners, while Gettysburg recorded eight.

The Diplomats conclude the three-game home stand by hosting No. 2 Johns Hopkins this Saturday, October 11, at noon.