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CORTLAND, NY – The #8 nationally ranked Franklin & Marshall College women’s lacrosse team will join #14 Nazareth College and Colorado College at #5 SUNY-Cortland as the Red Dragons will host a four-team NCAA Division III tournament regional on Saturday and Sunday, May 13-14, at the SUNY-Cortland Stadium Complex. Cortland (17-0) will face Colorado College (10-6), a 13-12 victor at Endicott College on May 10, at 11:30 a.m. before the Diplomats (14-4), a 18-4 victor over Denison University, will face Nazareth (14-0) at 2:30 p.m. in other second round game on Saturday. The two winners will play Sunday at 1:00 p.m. with that victor advancing to the “Final Four” May 20-21 at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey. Cortland is one of four regional hosts and was one of eight teams in the 24-team field to receive a first round bye into the second round. The regional will feature two of the nation’s three remaining unbeaten teams as the Red Dragons and Golden Flyers, along with Gettysburg College (18-0) have yet to lose a game. Cortland is making its eighth straight NCAA appearance and its 10th overall. The Red Dragons, who won their eighth consecutive State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) title this past weekend with a 14-8 victory over Geneseo, will look to make their first appearance in the “Final Four” after host Colorado College stopped the Dragons 10-9 in double overtime in the regional finals. An F&M-Cortland showdown in the regional final would mark the first meeting between the Dragons and Diplomats in women’s lacrosse. Colorado College is appearing in the NCAA tournament for the fifth straight year and for the sixth time in program history. The Tigers advanced to the regional tournament in dramatic fashion as Colorado College tallied the final five goals of the game, including the game-winner by midfielder Helen Sneath with 30 seconds left on the clock, to knock off host Endicott College 13-12 in Beverly, Massachusetts. The win improved the Tigers to 5-5 in tournament games, including a 2-0 mark in first round games. Further, Colorado improved to 1-4 in NCAA away tournament games, while the team is 1-1 in neutral site games including a loss in the national semifinals last year. Historically, F&M is 1-0 all-time against the Tigers in women’s lacrosse as Franklin & Marshall recorded a 9-5 victory at Stewart Field in Colorado Springs, Colorado on March 8, 2001 in the only meeting between the two programs. Nazareth College enters the tournament on the heels of winning the Empire 8 championship by virtue of a 15-5 victory over Elmira College as the Golden Flyers are making their third straight NCAA appearance and fifth overall in the last seven seasons. Historically, Nazareth is 3-4 in tournament games and has never faced Colorado, Cortland or F&M in women’s lacrosse. The key to their first round game against F&M will be defense as the Golden Flyers led the nation in scoring defense with an average of 4.36 goals allowed per game. On the year, no opponent has scored more than eight goals against Nazareth, while Franklin & Marshall has been held to eight or fewer goals three times this year falling at #3 Salisbury University 14-8 on March 26, at #1 Gettysburg 8-7 in triple overtime on April 5 and 8-6 in the Centennial Conference title game on April 30 at Gettysburg.
The Golden Flyers also boast a potent scoring attack as Nazareth is seventh in the nation in scoring margin at 8.07 goals per game and is led by midfielder Amy O’Donnell who leads the team with 28 goals. Nazareth is also strong in the cage as goalie Heather Chapel leads the nation in save percentage (.647) and goals-against average (3.97 gaa). Franklin & Marshall enters the regional semifinal against Nazareth fresh off an 18-4 victory over Denison on May 10 at home on Sponaugle-Williamson Field as attacker Kiki Foster (Sr., Denver, CO/Kent Denver) to pace the Diplomats.
F&M is making its ninth appearance in the 22-year history of the NCAA Division III women’s lacrosse tournament as the Diplomats previously appeared in the 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1998 tournaments. Historically, Franklin & Marshall is now 3-8 in NCAA games with first round wins in 1991, 1998 and 2006 and will look to make its first appearance in the regional finals. Ranked #5 in the Laxpower.com, #11 in the Inside Lacrosse and #8 in the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches, the Diplomats are nationally ranked sixth in draw controls (14.12 per game), 18th in scoring offense (13.82 gpg), 20th in scoring defense (7.88 gpg), 15th in scoring margin (5.94 gpg) and 16th in caused turnovers (12.76 ctpg) this year. Leading the charge for Franklin & Marshall is Foster who leads the team in scoring with 37 goals and 25 assists for 62 points, while attacker Jen Pritchard (Fr., Media, PA/Penncrest) has 50 goals and eight assists for 58 points and midfielder/attacker Kelly Cassels (Jr., Downingtown, PA/Great Valley) has 36 goals and 21 points for 57 points. A key to the game will be the field for F&M as the Diplomats have been strong at home this year notching a 7-0 record and a 3-0 mark in neutral site games, but only 4-4 when the road team. In road games, the Diplomats have fallen to #1 Gettysburg College (8-7 L 3OT, 8-6 L), #3 Salisbury (14-8 L) and #9 Rowan University (15-12 L) and defeated Haverford College (16-6 W), Swarthmore College (15-7 W), Ursinus College (15-2 W) and McDaniel College (19-9 W) this year.
One of the most successful Division III women’s lacrosse programs in the nation, Franklin & Marshall has captured six conference titles as the Diplomats have competed in 14 national championship tournaments and recorded a mark of 295-148-3 in 30 years of competition. Ticket prices are $4.00 for adults and $3.00 for students and children 12 and under for each day of the tournament. Directions to SUNY-Cortland are available online at www.cortland.edu/directions/index.html
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