Solleveld & Schellhorn Named 2004 Men's Lacrosse Team Captains

by Sports Information
1/5/04

LANCASTER, PA - Franklin & Marshall College close defender Ed Schellhorn (Jr., Wilton, CT/Wilton) and midfielder Bas Solleveld (Sr., Glenmoore, PA/Shipley School) have been named the 2004 men's lacrosse team captains.

A Face-Off Yearbook Division III Preseason All-America honorable mention selection, Solleveld tallied 23-11-34 in 2003, including 15-6-21 in Conference play, to raise his career numbers to 49-23-72 and earn All-Centennial Conference second team honors. As a sophomore, he chipped in 22-5-27, including eight goals and four assists in Centennial Conference games, to earn All-CC Honorable Mention honors.

On defense, Schellhorn assisted in guiding a Diplomats' defense which finished fourth in the Centennial Conference in scoring defense (7.88 gpg) and man-down percentage (77.6 percent). The brother of former F&M team captain and All-America defender Chris Schellhorn '02, Ed Schellhorn's election marks the first time in the history of Franklin & Marshall College men's lacrosse that two brothers have served as team captains.

Ranked 11th in the Lacrosse Magazine and 12th in the Inside Lacrosse Division III men's lacrosse preseason polls, the Diplomats concluded the 2003 season with a 12-4 record, 6-2 in Centennial Conference play, as Franklin & Marshall finished fifth in the nation, ranked #9 in the final USILA Division III national poll and received an at-large bid to the NCAA Championship Tournament. In the tournament, F&M advanced to the quarterfinals before being defeated by eventual national champion Salisbury University.

The NCAA playoff berth marked the third in program history (1988, 1990, and 1995) as the team recorded the program's best record since the 1988 team went 13-3 and advanced to the "Final Four".

Out of Conference during the regular season, F&M finished undefeated knocking off Denison (12-7 W), Marymount (17-3 W), Washington & Lee (5-4 W), Randolph Macon (11-6 W) and Goucher (10-6 W) for a perfect 5-0 record as the Diplomats played the 12th toughest schedule in the nation according to the final LaxPower.com Power Rankings.

Franklin & Marshall was the only Centennial Conference school to defeat Washington & Lee last year as Gettysburg and Washington fell by 10-9 and 6-5 finals to the Generals, respectively. Further, the win marked F&M's first over W&L since a 10-9 overtime win at home on Sponaugle-Williamson Field on March 30, 1996.

Historically, the men's lacrosse program is one of the strongest in NCAA Division III as F&M has registered nine conference championships in the last thirty years with a 47-year record of 314-301.