LANCASTER, Pa. – The No. 3 Franklin & Marshall women's lacrosse team scored the first 12 goals versus No. 23 Messiah on Wednesday afternoon en route to a 17-5 non-conference victory. The Diplomats (3-0) remained undefeated with their third consecutive nationally-ranked win to start the season as they led by as many as 14 during the rain-soaked contest.
Devyn Crone had a huge day with 10 points as she scored four goals and assisted on six others. Those 10 points tied for the seventh-highest single-game total in school history and were the most since Paige Moriarty tallied 10 points during the 2016 game with McDaniel. Crone's six helpers were the most since the 2019 season and tied for the eighth-highest total in program history. Lauren Pittman added four goals to her five-point evening as six different Diplomats finished with multiple goals. The group included Annie Marshall who scored the first two goals of her collegiate career.
Croyne had her hat trick just over six minutes into the contest as she scored twice during the first two minutes and added her third goal with 8:54 to play in the opening quarter. Pittman put the finishing touches on her hat trick with 5:55 to play in the opening half. Adde Hollander, Alexandra Proefrock, and Lane Lambeth also scored during the initial 12-0 run as the Diplomats forced the running clock with just under three minutes off the game clock in the second period. Another highlight of the attack was Lydia Cassilly who scored two goals in the second half in addition to three assists for a five-point night.
Franklin & Marshall was very efficient with its shot selection as it scored on 17 of 27 shots as Messiah made just three saves. Sara DiGiovanni had a strong game in the crease as she stopped five of the six shots on goal she faced during the first 30 minutes before Rachel Jones came on in the second half to put the final touches on the win.
The Diplomats dominated on the draw as they won 18 of the 25 restarts. Julia Carbon was a huge factor in that success as she had 12 draw controls to tie her for the second-highest single-game total in school history. She was just two shy of Pittman who set the school's single game record with 14 draw controls at Salisbury during the 2024 season. Lucy Rogers and Cassilly each caused a pair of turnovers during the win as F&M limited Messiah to just 7-of-13 on its clearing attempts.
After three consecutive home games to start the season, the Diplomats will head out on the road for the first time in 2025 when they travel to Catholic this Friday, March 7 for a 6 p.m. opening draw.
