SALISBURY, Md. - The No. 2 Salisbury University
women's lacrosse team knocked off No. 1 Franklin & Marshall
College 9-7 on Saturday afternoon before 600 at Sea Gull Stadium in
a highly anticipated rematch of last season's NCAA Division III
national championship game.
Salisbury posted a school record of 21-2 last season as both
losses came against F&M. The last time the Sea Gulls defeated
the Diplomats was March 26, 2006 at home in a 14-8 win. The loss
snaps F&M's 28-game winning streak and opens the door for
Salisbury to move up in the polls to No. 1 in the nation and hold
the new current winning streak of 13.
The Sea Gulls (13-0) came out with a vengeance as junior
Jessica Chmielewski (two goals, one assist) scored
within the first minute of play. Minutes later, on a backdoor pass
from senior Jessica Liston (one goal, two
assists), Chmielewski netted her second goal to give SU the quick
2-0 lead.
Franklin & Marshall (7-1) got on the board at the 20:15 mark
on a free position goal by Jen Pritchard, last year's Most
Outstanding Player in the national championship game.
SU took over from there with a 4-0 run to give the Sea Gulls a
6-1 lead with 12 minutes left in the first half. The Gulls received
goals from four different players during the seven minute goal
streak. Sophomore Kim Cudmore (two goals) scored
an unassisted goal followed by a Liston free position goal. A
Diplomat yellow card forced a costly F&M turnover and allowed
junior Ashleigh Gender to score off an assist from
Liston at the 12:41 mark. The Gulls won the next draw control and
scored 33 seconds later on an unassisted goal by Sue
Ackermann (two goals).
The Diplomats closed the gap behind two goals from Sarah
Meisenberg (three goals, three assists), a second tally by
Pritchard and goal by Mary Blake Hargest. SU clung to a 6-5 lead as
the teams went into halftime.
Between the pipes both goalies came up with strong performances
and big saves, especially in the second half as the game remained
close. SU junior goalie Sonja Stuart made eight
saves in the second half en route to a season-high 12 stops.
F&M sophomore goalie Lidia Sanza (eight saves) made four saves
in each half for the Diplomats.
Meisenberg scored an unassisted goal at the 20:39 mark in the
second half and assisted on a Pritchard goal, minutes later, to
give F&M its first and only lead, 7-6, with 16:47 left in the
game.
SU ended its scoreless streak of 26 plus minutes when junior
Robyn Bishop knotted the game at seven on a free
position goal just 18 seconds after F&M took the lead.
Cudmore scored the eventual game-winner as she curled around the
crease and beat Sanza up high to give SU the 8-7 advantage with 10
minutes to play. Ackermann scored her 50th goal of the season on a
Chmielewski assist, a minute later, to ice the game for the maroon
and gold.
This is the first time since the national championship game that
Salisbury was held to single digits in goals.
The statistics were close in this tightly contested game.
F&M outshot SU 27-26 as the Diplomats committed 25 fouls to 20
by the Sea Gulls. Salisbury was a perfect 13-for-13 on clears while
its defense caused four failed clears as F&M went 14-for-18.
The two teams scored two free position goals, SU had 11 turnovers
to 10 by F&M and the Sea Gulls were 13-for-18 on draw controls.
Salisbury will next face Ursinus College on Tuesday, April 1, at
6 p.m. in the first-ever SU women's lacrosse night game at Sea Gull
Stadium.
