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LANCASTER, PA - Following wins over Marymount and then #3 ranked Washington & Lee, the Franklin & Marshall College men's lacrosse team jumped eight spots to #14 in the March 17 STX Division III Poll. Ranked #25 in the preseason poll and #22 last week, the Diplomats routed Marymount 17-3 and edged Washington & Lee 5-4 to move into the nation's top 15 men's programs. Further, it marks F&M's highest ranking since earning a #13 nod on March 13, 2001. Versus Marymount, attackman Steve Welsh (So., Lewes, DE/Cape Henelopen) scored four goals and dished out three assists to lead the way as F&M scored 10 first half goals to take a commanding 10-1 lead into intermission. To open the second half, F&M tacked on six third period goals and added one in the fourth to record the 14-goal victory. In goal, goalie Mike Sartorius (So., Summit, NJ/Summit) recorded 12 saves with one goal allowed in the first half, while Rob Hamilton (Fr., Monkton, MD/Gilman) and Will McIntire (So., Arlington, VA/Taft) combined to stop three shots with two goals allowed in the second half. The key to the game for F&M was a balanced attack in which eight different players found the back of the net. Bryan Nolan (Sr., Scottsdale, AZ/Western Reserve) notched three goals and two assists, while Beau Smith (Sr., Baltimore, MD/Gilman) added one goal and three assists in the effort. Colin Hanley (So., Davidsonville, MD/DeMatha) tacked on three goals and an assist, Vandy Vanderwarker (Jr., Keswick, VA/STAB) scored three goals and an assist and team co-captain Jon Singer (Sr., Reisterstown, MD/Boys' Latin) fired in a goal and dished out an assist. At Washington & Lee, Nolan finished a pass from Hanley with 3:06 left in regulation as the Diplomats scored two goals in the final 4:53 of the game for a 5-4 upset of the Generals. The fourth quarter was dramatic as the Generals assumed a 4-3 lead on a goal by midfielder Dustin Martin with 8:04 remaining in the game, but Bas Solleveld (Jr., Glenmoore, PA/Shipley) knotted the score at 4-4 at the 4:53 mark to set up Nolan's game-winner as F&M (4-0, 1-0 Centennial Conference) defeated W&L for the first time since a 10-9 overtime win at home on Sponaugle-Williamson Field on March 30, 1996. Clutching the one goal lead, F&M's defense stifled Washington & Lee's offense the rest of the way as Sartorius recorded three of his 11 saves in the final quarter. The Generals had several opportunities to tie the score and force overtime in the final minutes, but Sartorius stepped up to shut-down the W&L attack. The game was a see-saw battle from the outset as W&L's Matt Fink scored an unassisted tally at the 14:47 mark, but Hanley responded to tie the score as he beat Generals' goalie Ansel Sanders. Martin added the first of two unassisted goals in the game at 10:41 of the first as Washington & Lee retook the lead. However, Singer sliced through the Generals' defense with 3:14 left in the opening quarter as the two teams entered the second period tied at 2-2. In the second quarter, it was all F&M as the Diplomats outshot W&L 9-4, including a blast off the stick of Welsh which found the back of the net for a 3-2 F&M lead at halftime. Washington & Lee responded in the third edging out F&M 9-8 in shots while Gavin Molinelli netted the tying score as the two teams entered the fourth tied at 3-3. In goal, Sartorius made 11 saves and scooped 11 ground balls in 58:40 play, while Hamilton stopped the only shot he faced in 1:20 of relief. The key to the game for F&M was defense as the Diplomats held the Generals 0-for-two on extra man opportunities to remain perfect on this year at 0-for-23. In addition, the Diplomats registered 21 clears on 31 opportunities. The win improved F&M's record to 4-0, as the Diplomats became the first CC team in three attempts to defeat Washington & Lee. Previously, CC pre-season favorites Gettysburg and Washington fell by 10-9 and 6-5 finals to the Generals, respectively. On the year, Singer leads the team in points and assists as he has tallied six goals and 11 assists for 17 marks. Nolan tops the squad in goals scored with 11, followed by Hanley (9) Smith (7), Welsh (7), Singer and Vanderwarker (5). In goal, Sartorius leads the Centennial Conference in save percentage at 77.0 percent with 47 saves and 14 goals allowed in 188 minutes of play. As a team, F&M ranks second in the Centennial Conference in scoring offense (13.75) and defense (4.25), while topping the Conference in man-up (55.6 percent, 10-of-18) and man-down (23 stops on 23 attempts) percentage. F&M will continue the season on Wednesday, March 19 at Randolph Macon College. Game time is set for 3:30 p.m. in Ashland, Virginia. 2003 STX Men's Lacrosse Poll (March 17)
1. Middlebury 2-0
2. Salisbury 3-0
3. Whittier 5-0
4. Hampden-Sydney 4-0
5. Gettysburg 3-1
6. Ithaca 2-0
7. Washington & Lee 3-1
8. Cortland 1-2
9. Nazareth 1-1
10. St. Lawrence 2-0
11. Washington 1-2
12. Ohio Wesleyan 2-1
13. Rensselaer 3-0
14. Franklin & Marshall 4-0
15. McDaniel 3-0
16. Lynchburg 3-2
17. Roanoke 3-1
18. Eastern Connecticut 2-1
19. Messiah 2-1
20. Bowdoin 1-1
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