Franklin & Marshall College

LANCASTER, Pa.- The No. 16 Franklin & Marshall field hockey team (2-0) were four goals ahead at halftime in a comfortable 6-0 win over visiting Elizabethtown (2-1).

Ava Lofgren led the attack with two goals and one assist, while Caitlin Hoover recorded two goals. Hannah Fitzgerald and Megan Dadio posted one goal apiece. Maya Rorick record one assist. The F&M defense delivered once again, allowing just two shots total and no shots on goal in a combined shutout for Meghan Dole and Sarah Davis. 

Lofgren opened the scoring four minutes into the game, getting first to a blocked shot in front of the Etown goalkeeper and dribbling around the keeper for an easy finish from a few yards away. Fitzgerald added the second of the period with just seconds to go. Hoover's backhanded shot from the center of the circle was blocked and deflected to an unmarked Fitzgerald sitting at the near post. She hit the ball first-time on the bounce, beating the keeper at the near post.

The Diplomats added two more goals in the second period. The first came via Lofgren inside of two minutes. Hoovers pass into the circle was intercepted by a Blue Jays defender, but Lofgren won the ball back, dribbled backwards to create space, and fired over both the defender and keeper from ten yards away. Hoover scored her first goal of the game with nine minutes remaining in the period. Receiving the ball from a penalty corner injection, she spun around an advancing defender, opening yards of free space in front of goal. She went low and to the keeper's left to make it 4-0 through the opening 30 minutes. Through the first 30, Etown was outshot 17-2, with their last shot of the game coming in the eighth minute of the first period.

 The Diplomats were unable to add to their lead in the third period despite 15 shots and nine penalty corners, but two more goals came in the fourth period. Hoover's first goal happened inside of 90 seconds. Lofgren dribbled along the goalline on the left side and threaded a ball past several defenders to find Hoover at the near post, who guided the ball into the cage. Dadio wrapped up scoring a few minutes later from a Rorick penalty corner injection, dribbling past her defender and putting a backhanded shot past the keeper at the near post. 

F&M outshot the Blue Jays 37-2 by the end of the contest while generating 13 penalty corners to three from Etown. 

The Diplomats stay in Lancaster in the midweek when they host No. 22 Messiah on Wednesday, September 9, at 7:00 p.m.