Men's Lacrosse to Host Scranton in ECAC Men's South Region Championship

by Sports Information
4/29/02

LANCASTER, PA -- The Franklin & Marshall College men's lacrosse team has accepted the #1 seed for the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Men's Lacrosse Championship game versus the University of Scranton on Sunday, May 5. Game time is set for 2:00 p.m. at Sponaugle-Williamson Field.

For Franklin & Marshall (8-7, 3-3 Centennial Conference) the game will mark their second appearance in the ECAC title tilt in as many years. Last year, host Western Maryland defeated the Diplomats 13-10 as it marked a milestone for Franklin & Marshall which advanced to the post-season for the first time since a 15-9 loss in the 1995 NCAA Quarterfinals to Gettysburg College. In addition, it marked the first time in the 45-year history of the sport at Franklin & Marshall College, that the men's lacrosse program earned a bid to the ECAC playoffs.

Leading the charge for Franklin & Marshall this season has been senior co-captain Andrew Kuskowski (Huntington, NY/Huntington) as the attackman has tallied 12-28-40 through the squad's first 15 games. Midfielder Jon Singer (Jr., Reisterstown, MD/Boys Latin) leads the team in goal scoring with 22, one better than sophomore attackman Vandy Vanderwarker (Keswick, VA/STAB).

In goal, freshman Mike Sartorius (Summit, NJ/Summit) has been rock-steady recording 200 saves with 122 goals allowed off 343 shots faced. On Friday versus #1 nationally ranked Gettysburg, he made 22 saves as the Diplomats fell 7-6 in the Centennial Conference Championship playoffs.

Historically, F&M is 8-0 all-time against the Scranton Royals in men's lacrosse dating back to the two teams participation in the Middle Atlantic Conference. The last time the two squads met on March 21, 1987, F&M came out on top 19-3 on the road to claiming the Middle Atlantic Conference title. The game marked Scranton's first in the Middle Atlantic Conference lacrosse league, replacing Lebanon Valley which dropped out of the MAC in the sport following the 1986 season. Statistically, the Diplomats set a new school record with 17 assists in the game, a mark that still stands to date.

Scranton (9-6, 6-3 MAC) will face the Diplomats fresh off another post-season tournament as the Royals are seeded #4 in the Middle Atlantic Conference Men's Lacrosse Championships. On Wednesday, May 1, Scranton will travel to Chester, Pennsylvania to face #1 seed Widener University at 1:00 p.m. in a semifinal game. The winner of that contest will advance to the site of the highest remaining seed to face the winner of #2 Lycoming versus #3 Messiah at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 4. The winner of the MAC Championship receives an automatic bid to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Championship Tournament.

The Diplomats and Royals share only one common opponent from the 2002 season, York College of Pennsylvania. On April 27, Scranton fell to the Spartans 10-9, while Franklin & Marshall defeated York 18-11 behind hat-tricks by Kuskowski, Bas Solleveld (So., South Huntington, NY/St. Anthony's) and Bryan Nolan (Jr., Scottsdale, AZ/Western Reserve).

Founded in 1787, Franklin & Marshall College is a coeducational, liberal arts institution. Franklin & Marshall College supports 26 intercollegiate athletic teams and supports numerous club and intramural activities for both men and women.