LANCASTER, Pa.- The No. 16 Franklin & Marshall field hockey team (6-2, 0-1 CC) were unable to complete a comeback despite a late Caitlin Hoover goal, falling 3-2 in Saturday's Centennial Conference opener against Haverford (7-1, 1-0 CC).

Hoover scored both goals for the Diplomats, while Hannah Fitzgerald and Megan Dadio each had one assist. Meghan Dole Made three stops in the cage. 

The Diplomats controlled the pace in the first quarter, outshooting the Fords 6-1 while generating seven penalty corners against zero from Haverford. 

Hoover broke through the first goal of the game five minutes into the second quarter Fitzgerald slotted a ball into the edge of the circle, and Hoover dribbled right past two defenders and fired a shot low and right of the goalkeeper.

Haverford drew level when they drew a penalty stroke five minutes later, putting the ball into the top-right corner to send the game into the halftime break level at 1-1. F&M outshot the Fords 8-2 in the second quarter while generating five more penalty corners.

With their first penalty corner of the game five minutes into the third quarter, the Fords scored once again for a 2-1 advantage. A recycled ball was put back to the edge of the circle where it was put across the face of the goal before being tipped into the cage. 

F&M drew a penalty stroke entering the final minutes of the third period, but Caroline Roschen's attempt just missed the bottom-right corner. 

The Fords added to their advantage halfway through the fourth quarter, as an initial close-range shot was saved before the rebound was collected by Haverford and put past the Diplomats' defense. Hoover put F&M back in contention less than two minutes later. After receiving a Dadio penalty corner, she dribbled past two defenders and beat the goalkeeper low and left. F&M was unable to find an equalizer in the last six minutes.

F&M plays its second Centennial Conference game when they travel to McDaniel on Tuesday, September 30, at 6:00 p.m.