GETTYSBURG, Pa. – The No. 10 Franklin & Marshall field hockey team found itself locked in a defensive battle late into the afternoon at Gettysburg on Wednesday. The home standing Bullets eventually broke that scoreless deadlock with 22 seconds remaining in regulation time to secure the 1-0 upset victory.
The two sides each finished with seven shots. The Diplomats held a 5-4 edge in shots on goal, but Sydney Yaw's goal with 22 seconds remaining was the only score of the day. On that final goal, F&M appeared to have the Bullets slowed down as Meghan Dole made a save off the shot of Cianna Miranda, but the rebound went right back to Miranda who found Yaw for the close-range tip-in.
That goal capped a match in which the Bullets did not record their first shot until the early minutes of the second half. Gettysburg goalie Ava Spear made two saves during the opening half – and five on the day – to record the shutout. For the Diplomats, Sarah Weitzman, Caitlin Hoover, and Molly Donadoni each recorded two shot attempts as those players accounted for each of F&M's attempts on goal.
Franklin & Marshall will look to bounce back in Centennial Conference play this Friday with a top-10 national showdown at Johns Hopkins. The Blue Jays are currently ranked eighth in the NFHCA National Poll, but they will also be coming off of their first conference defeat of the season following a 1-0 loss versus Swarthmore. Friday's national showdown will get underway at 7 p.m. in Baltimore.
