READING, Pa.- The No. 7 Franklin & Marshall field hockey team (6-0) maintained their perfect start to the 2026 season with a 2-0 victory at Alvernia (2-3) on Wednesday evening.
F&M's goals came via
Ava Lofgren and
Caitlin Hoover, while
Megan Dadio and
Hannah Fitzgerald had one assist apiece.
Meghan Dole made eight stops in the cage in the shutout, marking the most saves she's made in a shutout in her career.
It took just under 90 seconds for F&M to register the first goal of the game in the second sequence of a F&M penalty corner. Hoover's initial shot from the top of the circle deflected off a Golden Wolves stick before finding Dadio unmarked at the keeper's right post. She played the ball to the far post where she found Lofgren for a tap-in from the goal line.
The Golden Wolves took their turn at shot creation following the goal, forcing three stops from Dole in the next two minutes. Several minutes later, Hoover had an initial shot saved, while her rebounded effort went off the right post of the cage.
Maya Rorick,
Molly Donadoni, and Dadio each forced one save in the remaining time, while Lofgren's shot that came via Dadio's rebounded shot hit the keeper's near post from close range.
The second quarter was quieter but saw Dole make three more stops, including a couple of close-range saves from penalty corners, while F&M put one of two shots on goal when Hoover forced a save from the circle on a penalty corner in the final minute.
Hoover created the first shot on goal of the third quarter with a backhanded attempt from five yards away halfway through, but her shot was saved. Dadio had a penalty-corner shot saved in the final seconds of the period at the keeper's near post from a Rorick ball into the circle and a Fitzgerald pass forward to Dadio.
Hoover gave F&M an insurance goal 90 seconds into the fourth period to double F&M's advantage. Lofgren began the sequence with a midfield dispossession and a forward pass to Fitzgerald. She then played a through ball to Hoover who fired from ten yards away and went low and to the goalkeeper's right at her near post. Dole made two more key stops to protect the shutout over the next five minutes. The defense allowed no more shots in the remaining nine minutes, while the Diplomats forced four saves from Alvernia's goalkeeper in attempts to add to the lead.
F&M outshot the Golden Wolves 20-10 across the hour and generated 13 shots on goal to their eight. F&M also outdrew their opponents in penalty corners, 12-7.
The Diplomats host their second ranked opponent of the season, as Shenandoah visits on Senior Day this Saturday, September 19, at 1:00 p.m.
