Franklin & Marshall College

LANCASTER, Pa.- The Franklin & Marshall women's soccer team (5-2-1, 2-1 Centennial Conference) suffered a 1-0 loss to No. 17 Swarthmore (6-1-1, 3-0 Centennial Conference) on a 61st-minute goal for the team's first Centennial Conference loss of 2026.

Lucy Fleming saved four of the five shots that she faced, while Emerson McDonald led the team with five of the team's 13 shots. 

The Swarthmore goal ended a run of 488 minutes without conceding a goal for the Diplomats dating back to September 9. 

F&M had all of the chances through the opening 20 minutes, outshooting the Fords 4-0 during that spell. In the sixth minute McDonald had a top-of-the-box shot blocked and rebounded back her way, but her rebounded chance sailed over the bar. 

Alex Jones had F&M's best chance of the half in the 14th minute, when a Amanda Nemeth corner was headed down to her unmarked at the far post, but her effort one-touch shot sailed just over the crossbar. The Garnet had their first shots of the game following this with a couple of shots blocked from the edge of the box. 

McDonald had another opportunity in the 27th minute when a ball in the box caused a collison between the Swarthmore keeper and a defender, putting a loose ball at McDonald's feet at the edge of the box. Her shot was saved by the recovering Garnet goalkeeper. 

Swarthmore forced a stop a few minutes after that, as a Ganet played was able to dribble into space and force a save from Fleming at her near post from 15 yards out. 

Both sides registered five shots in the first half. 

Swarthmore registered the first three shots of the half, including a decent chance in the 53rd minute. A long ball was headed down to another Garnet player who dribbled into space and fired low and across the goal, narrowly missing the far post.

Two minutes following that, Finnerty latched onto a ball over the top but was unable to reproduce her goal from Wednesday night when a defender closed off her angle and blocked the shot. 

Swarthmore's game-winning goal came in the 61st minute. The chance came from a low, outswinging corner kick that was won by a Garnet player who found her teammate unmarked six yards from goal. She turned and shot past Fleming to go ahead, 1-0.

McDonald had a couple of F&M's best chances in the remaining time. In the 81st minute, a Grace Craig cross was headed down by Ashley Inacio to McDonald at the edge of the box, but she was unable to get clean contact, with her first-time effort missing wide. Three minutes following that, a cutback was played to her at the six-yard box, but her attempt again missed the mark. 

The Diplomats play in a week's time when they face Dickinson on Saturday, October 3, at 3:30 p.m.