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LANCASTER, PA - The Franklin & Marshall College men's lacrosse team remained #10 in the March 31 STX/USILA Division III Top 20 Poll. Historically, the team's top 10 ranking marks the program's highest recognition in the national poll since the Diplomats were ranked #7 in the 1996 pre-season poll. Ranked #25 in the 2003 preseason poll, #22 in the opening week poll, #14 on March 17 and #10 last week, the Diplomats knocked off Goucher (10-6 W) and Muhlenberg (14-3 W) to improve to 8-0, 3-0 in Centennial Conference play. Leading the charge last week was attackman Colin Hanley (So., Davidsonville, MD/DeMatha) who scored seven goals and added three assists to raise his season numbers to 10-9-19. Against Muhlenberg, he scored four goals and added an assist to lead Franklin & Marshall to the team's eighth straight win. For Hanley, who has tallied a goal in every game so far this year for F&M, his goal total versus the Mules matched his season high of four goals scored versus Denison in a 12-7 win on March 8. In the latest Centennial Conference statistical rankings, he is fourth in goals (2.38) and 16th in points (2.33) per game to anchor a Diplomats' offense which tops the Conference in scoring with 13.25 goals per contest. As a team, F&M ranks first in team man-up percentage (16-of-35, 45.7%) and scoring defense (4.13) and second in team man down percentage (36-of-41, 87.8%) behind Swarthmore (22-of-25, 88.0%). Midfielder Jon Singer (Sr., Reisterstown, MD/Boy's Latin) leads the team in points with 13-15-28 in eight games to rank second in scoring in the Centennial Conference behind Washington College's Steve Berger (14-24-38). Singer ranks seventh in goals with 2.13 per contest, while attackman Bryan Nolan (Sr., Scottsdale, AZ/Western Reserve) is fifth with 2.38 per game (19 in eight games). In assists, Singer is third in the Conference with 2.38 per game and attackman Steve Welsh (So., Lewes, DE/Cape Henelopen) is fifth with 1.63 (13 in eight games). In goal, Diplomat goaltender Mike Sartorius (So., Summit, NJ/Summit) leads the Centennial Conference in save percentage (71.3%) and goals against average (4.37 goals allowed) as he has recorded 72 saves and 29 goals allowed in 398 minutes of play. Overall, F&M's 8-0 start marks the best season-opening performance by an F&M men's lacrosse team since the 1972 squad reeled off a 9-0 string with wins over Swarthmore, Bucknell, Penn State, Lebanon Valley, Dickinson, Drexel, Lehigh, Delaware and Lafayette before dropping a 9-4 decision to Adelphi in the USILA Tournament. The Diplomats continued the year with a 12-4 rout of Gettysburg before falling 10-9 to Washington in the USILA Tourney to conclude the season at 10-2. Further, F&M has now won nine straight games dating back to the team's 18-3 rout of the University of Scranton in the 2002 ECAC South Men's Lacrosse title game, to tie the all-time winning streak record of the 1972 Diplomats. Franklin & Marshall, which is ranked 8th in the LaxPower.com Computer Rankings, will continue the season on Saturday, April 5 at home on Williamson Field versus #6 nationally ranked Washington College (5-2, 3-0 CC). Historically, Washington has claimed 30 of the 31 previous meetings with F&M. The Diplomats only victory in the series came in 1995 when F&M upset the Shoremen 10-9. Game time is set for 2:00 p.m.
2003 STX Men's Lacrosse Poll (March 31)
1. Salisbury 8-0
2. Whittier 10-0
3. Hamden-Sydney 6-1
4. Middlebury 5-1
5. Gettysburg 6-2
6. Washington (MD) 4-2
7. Cortland 4-2
8. Ithaca 4-1
9. St. Lawrence 6-0
10. Franklin & Marshall 8-0
11. Washington & Lee 5-2
12. Roanoke 5-3
13. Nazareth 3-2
14. Ohio Wesleyan 4-1
15. McDaniel 7-0
16. Rensselaer 4-1
17. Clarkson 5-1
18. Lynchburg 6-3
19. Hartwick 5-1
20. Amherst 4-1
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