YORK, PA – The sixth ranked Franklin & Marshall College Diplomats ruined the Spartan women's lacrosse season opener as the guests earned a 14-10 non-conference on a brisk Wednesday night in York.
The Diplomats took control of the game in the third quarter as they outscored York 3-0 to push out to a 11-7 lead through three quarters of play.
The Spartans are now 0-1 while the Diplomats are 2-1.
 
How It Happened
• The Diplomats got off to a blazing start as they jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first seven minutes of the game. Lane Lambeth scored twice to open the scoring while Lydia Cassilly and Lauren Pittman added goals for the Diplomats. The Spartans picked themselves off the canvas and responded with four goals of their own. Madison Kurland and Zoe Kluegel scored to slice the Spartan deficit in half before Sydney Mentzer found the back of the net twice to tie the game at four with 2:59 left in the first quarter. Cassilly and Pittman answered for Franklin & Marshall with goals inside the final 1:03 of the quarter to take a 6-4 lead after one quarter of play.
• The Spartans again battled back in the second quarter. Kluegel scored 2:02 into the quarter to draw York to within one. Lambeth scored her third goal of the game just over a minute later but the Green and White got goals from Gianna Huet and Mentzer to tie the game at seven with 3:34 left in the half. Lambeth notched a man-up goal with 1:58 left in the half to give the Dips the 8-7 halftime lead.
• York had a rough third quarter as the Diplomats held the Green and White scoreless while they netted a trio of goals. Gillian Brennan, Madison Bray and Devyn Crone each scored as the Spartans fell behind 11-7. The Diplomats out shot the Spartans 8-2 in the quarter while York had eight turnovers in the period.
• Pittman struck for the first goal in the fourth with a man-up goal as the Franklin and Marshall lead grew to 12-7. Krista Yarusso notched an unassisted goal to stop the five goal Diplomat run. Cassilly and Lambeth closed out the Diplomat scoring with goals at the 4:43 and 3:47 marks to put the guests up 14-8. The Spartans got goals from Kurland and Kluegel to cap the scoring.
 
By the Numbers
The Diplomats out shot the Spartans 32-23 including 27-16 in shots on goal … York had 18 turnovers while Franklin & Marshall had 12 … York was just 13-for-22 in the clear while the Dips were 17-for-18 … F&M scooped up 15 ground balls to just nine for York … the draw was even as York had 14 draw controls while F&M notched 13 … both teams were efficient in free position shots as F&M was 4-for-9 while York was 4-for-8 … there were a combined 11 cards in the game.
 
Spartan Notes
The Spartans fall to 1-11 all-time against the Diplomats as F&M has won four in a row in the series … the Spartans had their 13-game opening game winning streak snapped with the loss … York is now 13-3 all-time under head coach Jen Muston in season openers … York is 11-5 in home openers under Muston … the Spartans went scoreless for 27:29 from the end of the second quarter to midway through the fourth … to the Spartans' credit, the Diplomats only scored five goals during the Spartan offensive drought … York had a pair of man-down goals and one man advantage goal while F&M had three man-up goals … grad goalie Bella Garabo made 13 saves as she faced 32 shots … the double digit saves game is the ninth in her Spartan career … sophomore Sydney Mentzer had a big game as she tallied three goals, had three ground balls, four caused turnovers, eight draws and was 1-for-1 in free position shots … the eight draw controls were a new career high for Mentzer … Zoe Kluegel notched three goals for the Green and White … Madison Kurland contributed two goals and two draw controls … Nesiah Bertram had three draw controls and one caused turnover.
 
Up Next
The Spartans head out on the road to face #3 William Smith on Saturday in Geneva, New York. The Herons and Spartans are set for an 11:00 am first draw.