Diplomats Move to Ninth in March 1 USILA Division III Men's Lacrosse Poll
by Sports Information
3/2/04
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LANCASTER, PA - The Franklin & Marshall College men's lacrosse team jumped is ranked ninth in the nation in the March 1 STX/USILA Division III poll. Ranked #12 in the preseason by Inside Lacrosse and Lacrosse Magazine, F&M (1-0, 0-0 Centennial Conference) opened the season with a flurry of goals routing Marymount University 15-4 on February 28 behind five goals and one assist from midfielder Bas Solleveld (Sr., Glenmoore, PA/Shipley). The ranking equals the Diplomats' best placement in any of the 2003 polls as the team finished 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. Overall, 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 315-301. 2004 STX/USILA Division III Men's Lacrosse Poll (Week 1)
1. Salisbury
2. Middlebury
3. Cortland
4. Washington
5. Hampden-Sydney
6. Nazareth
7. Ithaca
8. Ohio Wesleyan
9. Franklin & Marshall
10. Gettysburg
11. Whittier
12. Washington & Lee
13. Lynchburg
14. Hamilton
15. Roanoke
16. McDaniel
17. St. Lawrence
18. Tufts
19. Springfield
20. Rennselaer Receiving Votes: Geneseo, Amherst, Oneonta, Cabrini, RIT, Stevens Tech, Hartwick, Messiah, Eastern Connecticut, Bowdoin, Clarkson
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