THE GAME FACTS
Score: Franklin & Marshall 14, Roanoke 11
Location: Lancaster, Pa.
 
The Short Story: The third-ranked Diplomats defeated the 12th-ranked Maroons 14-11 in the third round of the NCAA Women's Lacrosse Championship in Pennsylvania.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Lauren Pittman scored the first two goals of the game for Franklin & Marshall before Kate Loughran got Roanoke on the board at the 12:12 mark of the first quarter. The Diplomats' Lydia Cassilly then notched back-to-back markers to push the advantage to 4-1, and F&M led 5-2 later in the period.
• But Sophia Chickering helped the Maroons win 10 straight draw controls in the opening quarter, and eventually the extra possessions paid off as RC went on a 5-0 run. Tiernan Connor scored three goals during that stretch, and a marker from Libby Bowman put Roanoke ahead 7-5 with 1:55 remaining in the opening frame.
• Lane Lambeth's goal pulled F&M to within 7-6 before the end of the period, and the Diplomats grabbed the first two scores of the second quarter to regain the lead at 8-7.
• The two defenses took over for long stretches of the stanza. But Bowman's goal with 2:39 to play knotted things up at 8-8, and the deadlock held until halftime.
• Gillian Brennan and Claire Book recorded back-to-back goals midway through the third quarter, putting F&M back in front at 10-8 with 7:00 left. A goal from the Maroons' Maddie McDonald and another tally from Brennan made it 11-9. But Grace Koutouzis provided consecutive goals for Roanoke, tying the game at 11-11 with only 14 seconds remaining in the period.
• The Diplomats retook the lead on a Madison Bray goal just 27 seconds into the final frame, and goals from Book and Bray later in the quarter would provide some insurance. The F&M defense also shut out the Maroons in the final 15 minutes as the Diplomats advanced to Sunday's quarterfinal round.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Connor tied for the game-high with four goals, while Bowman and Koutouzis each finished with two goals and two assists. Loughran, McDonald and Tracey Benzing scored one goal apiece, and Sydney Harrison had one assist.
• Sophia Chickering totaled nine draw controls, helping Roanoke to an overall 16-12 advantage on the circle. McDonald collected three draws, and Kyleigh Chickering recorded eight saves.
• Cassilly led F&M with six points, totaling two goals and four assists, and Brennan tallied four goals and one helper. Belle Dintino posted four caused turnovers, and Alyssa Moran made eight stops in goal.
• F&M outshot Roanoke 32-23 and held a 16-7 advantage in ground balls. The Diplomats also won the turnover battle 18-10, limiting the Maroons to a 16-of-23 mark on clears.

UP NEXT

• Roanoke wraps up the season with a 17-5 overall record. The Maroons set a new program standard for victories this spring, and Saturday's game marked their first appearance in the regional semifinals since the 2009 campaign.