No. 1 F&M Downs No. 5 Gettysburg for CC Title

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Katie Fullowan ’23 led Gettysburg with four goals at F&M (Photo by David Sinclair).

LANCASTER, Pa. – Top-ranked Franklin & Marshall College (7-0, 5-0 CC) survived hard-charging Gettysburg College (5-1, 5-1 CC) inside the final eight minutes and posted a pair of insurance goals late in the game to seal a 17-14 decision and claim the Centennial Conference title on Saturday.

Gettysburg’s Top Performers

  • Katie Fullowan ’23 (Lebanon, N.J./North Hunterdon): 4 Goals, 3 Draw Controls
  • Bri Stokes ’21 (Sudbury, Mass./Lincoln Sudbury): 3 Goals, 2 Assists
  • Kerry McKeever ’21 (Stony Brook, N.Y./Ward Melville): 2 Goals, 4 Draw Controls
  • Maddy Ruffini ’21 (Media, Pa./Strath Haven): 2 Goals, Caused Turnover
  • Caroline Sullivan ’24 (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield Ludlowe): Goal, 2 Assists
  • Shannon Twill ’23 (Warren, N.J./Watchung Hills): 12 Saves

F&M’s Top Performers

  • Ally Marino: 5 Goals, Assist
  • Marissa McGarrey: 4 Goals, 2 Assists
  • Tabitha Rodriguez: 2 Goals, 7 Draw Controls, 2 Ground Balls, 2 Caused Turnovers
  • Emily Kitchin: 9 Saves

Game Breakdown…

  • First Half
    • Gettysburg and F&M traded blows throughout the first half with neither team able to gain more than a one goal lead until the final minute. Madison Bray started the scoring for the Diplomats 1:04 into the game, while freshman Jordan Basso (Rye, N.Y./Rye) and McKeever answered right back to give a 2-1 edge to the Bullets.
    • The lead traded hands four times in the first half with Gettysburg’s last stand in front coming on a free-position shot by Sullivan which made it 5-4 at 11:38.
    • The Diplomats won the final seven draw controls of the half and retook the lead 6-5 on a goal by McGarrey at 9:05. McKeever tied the game three minutes later, but the hosts would walk into half time with an 8-6 advantage on goals by Rodriguez and Megan Jackson in the period’s final 80 seconds.
  • Second Half
    • The action was fast and furious to start the final period with a total of eight goals scored in the first 7:35. The Bullets held the hotter hand early with Stokes and Ruffini scoring back-to-back goals to tie the game. After McGarrey scored on a free position shot at 27:49, Ruffini went straight to cage 27 seconds later to force another deadlock at 9-9.
    • A pair of draw control wins led to goals for Franklin & Marshall, but Gettysburg did not let the two-goal deficit stand long with Fullowan following up a win off the draw with a free-position goal at 24:53. Following a pair of saves by Twill, Fullowan struck again from the eight-meter arc to tie the game 11-11 with 22:25 to play.
    • The Diplomats seized the lead for good on a goal by Ally Marino at 16:08. The teams traded the next four goals in rapid succession to maintain the one-goal separation. Gillian Brennan gave F&M a 15-13 lead with 9:15 to play.
    • Strokes jolted Gettysburg with renewed energy after catching a pass from Sullivan and ripping a shot past Kitchin to pull the Bullets within one (15-14) with 8:23 to play. The visitors continued to push for the equalizer, but three shots on goal were turned away by Kitchin over the next seven minutes, the last coming off the stick of McKeever at 1:57.
    • After a timeout, Franklin & Marshall was able to keep the ball away from Gettysburg and drew a pair of yellow cards in the process. The Diplomats took advantage of the situation with a goal by Rodriguez with 35 seconds left. McGarrey added another tally in the final seconds.

By the Numbers

  • Franklin & Marshall led in shots (43-29) and draw controls (19-13).
  • For the first time since 2000, the Centennial Conference championship was determined by the regular season record. The Diplomats claimed their eighth league championship and received the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament.
  • Gettysburg’s inclusion in the national tournament will be decided on May 3 during the NCAA Division III Women’s Lacrosse Selection Show at 10:30 a.m. on NCAA.com. The Bullets have played in 19 of 20 national tournaments since 2000.

Where the Series Stands
Franklin & Marshall leads the all-time series with Gettysburg 35-33-1. It was the eighth time the two lacrosse powers have met with one institution ranked No. 1 in the country.

This story was originally posted on the Gettysburg College Website.

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