LANCASTER, Pa. – A penalty shootout with two momentum-shifting saves from Lucy Fleming combined with four successful conversions sent the Franklin & Marshall women's soccer team past McDaniel and into the Centennial Conference Tournament's semifinal round at top-seeded No. 13 Johns Hopkins on Friday, November 6, at 4 p.m.
Ticket Information
Hudl returns as the ticketing provider for Centennial Conference postseason action in the 2026-27 academic year. Hudl will give event attendees the ability to purchase tickets online for each round of the Centennial postseason. Centennial fans will be able to find all scheduled postseason events on the Centennial ticketing homepage and quickly purchase tickets to receive via email. Fans will then use their smartphone to gain access at championship events through a simple and secure ticket validation process. Below are the ticket prices for each round of the postseason. Prices listed include a $1 service fee:
- Adults - $11
- Students (Age 6 through High School) - $6
- Senior Citizens - $6
- College Students, Faculty & Staff of Centennial Schools - FREE
- Children 5 and Under – FREE
The Field
FIRST ROUND: Tuesday, Nov. 3 | at #3 & #4 seeds
#3 Dickinson def. #6 Gettysburg, 1-0
#5 Franklin & Marshall tied #4 McDaniel, 1-1
F&M advances on PKs, 4-2
SEMIFINALS: Thursday, Nov. 5 | at #1 & #2 seeds
#3 Dickinson at #2 Swarthmore, 7 p.m.
#5 Franklin & Marshall at #1 Johns Hopkins, 4 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP: Sunday, Nov. 8 | at highest remaining seed
Semifinal winners, location & time TBD
Heroics in Westminster
Emily Cook's game-tying header from a Kyra Magerko cross in the 39th minute set the stage for a 4-2 penalty shootout victory led by two stops from the first two shots that Lucy Fleming faced. All four Diplomats that stepped up to the spot converted their penalty kick including Alex Jones, Meg Balerna, Amanda Nemeth, and Liz King.
The Season So Far
F&M's conference-leading defense has been the key to securing the team's sixth postseason appearance under John Sumoski. The Diplomats' 0.44 goals against average puts F&M among the top 25 teams in Division III defensively.
The team recorded a 3-1-1 record in non-conference play with wins over Eastern (2-0), Arcadia (1-0), and St. Mary's (1-0), a 1-1 draw hosting Elizabethtown to open the season, and a 1-0 loss to York.
F&M totaled four goals across two wins to open Centennial Conference play, winning 3-0 at Muhlenberg and 1-0 against Washington College. A 1-0 loss against No. 17 Swarthmore brought an end to 488 minutes without conceding a goal while beginning a scoreless drought that would span more than five matches. The team did earn a pair of 0-0 draws at Dickinson and (RV) McDaniel following the loss to the Garnet before falling 2-0 against Gettysburg and 1-0 at No. 20 Johns Hopkins. With a playoff berth still in sight, F&M closed out the season by taking all nine available points in their final three matches, winning 2-0 at Haverford, 2-0 hosting Ursinus, and 1-0 against BrynMawr on Senior Day. The Diplomats entered the postseason on a 303-minute run of not conceding a goal.
Players to Watch
Goalkeeper Lucy Fleming leads the Centennial Conference with nine shutouts in her senior season, while she ranks fourth in save percentage (.851).
The F&M back four in front of Fleming has remained virtually unchanged in the regular season, playing a key role in what has been the conference's best defense. Grace Craig leads outfield players in minutes (1410), missing just 25 while contributing one assist. Her and Colleen Ferrarese have started each game at fullback, while Meghan Ross has started every match as the right-sided centerback. Alex Jones has started 15 games to her left side.
Ashley Inacio leads the Diplomats' attack with ten points from four goals and two assists in her junior season. She recorded a brace in F&M's 3-0 win at Muhlenberg in September, while she has been involved in the game-winning goal (2 G, 1 A) in the last three matches leading up to the conference tournament. Ellison Errington has recorded three goals and one assist in 2026, while Emerson McDonald has two game-winning goals and two assists. Katherine Finnerty totaled one goal and two assists so far this season.
Meg Balerna and Amanda Nemeth have shared most of the responsibility in central midfield this year, as Balerna has contributed two goals and Nemeth has two assists.
Postseason Success
The Diplomats hold a 7-5-1 record in the Centennial Conference Tournament under head coach John Sumoski with three Centennial Conference Tournament Championship appearances in the last five seasons. The Diplomats have a 4-3-2 record (The ties included Tuesday's 4-2 win in PKs at McDaniel, while the previous tie ended as a 4-3 loss in PK's at McDaniel in the 2022 first round) when playing away matches in the Centennial Conference Tournament.
Lucy Fleming has started in goal for all nine Centennial Conference Tournament matches in the past four seasons, posting a .840 save percentage with 42 saves and a 5-3-1 record, playing a key role in two tournament championship appearances and 2023's NCAA Tournament berth.
Three of F&M's regular starters in defense this season have earned a start in each match in the past two postseasons including Grace Craig and Meghan Ross, while Colleen Ferrarese has played every available minute at fullback through the 2023 postseason. Ferrarese also has one assist in postseason play, helping
Emerson McDonald to her first conference tournament goal in last year's 2-1 win in the first round over Gettysburg in the first round.
Johns Hopkins Team Preview
The No. 13 Blue Jays look to continue a run of five-consecutive Centennial Conference Tournament championships following a 13-1-2, 9-1 Centennial Conference regular season that includes a run over nine consecutive victories entering Friday.
Hopkins posted a 4-0-2 record in non-conference play, earning wins over Catholic (1-0), Shenandoah (2-1), Kenyon (3-0), and Penn State Harrisburg (3-2) with ties against No. 5 Messiah (0-0) and Denison (1-1).
Swarthmore handed Johns Hopkins their lone loss of the regular season in a 1-0 result to begin Centennial Conference play. That was followed by wins by multiple goals over McDaniel (3-0), Haverford (2-0), and Bryn Mawr (3-0), Gettysburg (2-0), and Washington College (4-1). F&M was Hopkins' only other one-goal match in the conference, as the Blue Jays won, 1-0, in Baltimore. Their final three matches featured wins over Muhlenberg (3-0), Dickinson (2-0), and Ursinus (4-1).
The Blue Jays have spent every week but one in the United Soccer Coaches Division III poll, while they are currently at their season-best rank of No. 13.
Among Centennial Conference sides, Hopkins is level with No. 17 Swarthmore and the Diplomats with a 0.44 goals against average, putting the teams in the top 25 nationally. They are second in the conference in both scoring average (2.13) and scoring margin (1.69).
The offense has been balanced throughout 2026, as five different Blue Jays have recorded multiple game-winning goals and three players rank in the top ten in the conference for goals scored. Freshman forward Katie Derby is tied for third with seven goals, while junior forward Gwen Rauvola and junior midfielder Carolyn Johnson are tied for eighth with six goals. Derby is also fifth in points per game (1.06 on 7 goals, 3 assists), while Johnson is tied for sixth (1.00 on 6 goals, 3 assists). Sophomore goalkeeper Ella Kruntchev has infrequently been called into action in goal, but she posts the third-best save percentage (.861) in the conference when needed, totaling seven clean sheets which is tied for fifth.
Series History vs. the Blue Jays
The Blue Jays maintain a 33-5-2 advantage over the Diplomats, although the Diplomats have found success against the Blue Jays in Baltimore with head coach John Sumoski. F&M is 2-8 against Johns Hopkins under Sumoski, but both wins came in Baltimore including a 1-0 win over then No. 2 Johns Hopkins in the 2021 Centennial Conference Tournament semifinal and a 1-0 victory in the regular season.
The regular season match was hosted by the Blue Jays in a 1-0 defeat for F&M. Caroline Marcus scored for the hosts, while Lucy Fleming made three stops in goal.
