Dip Trip: F&M Clips Gettysburg in Overtime
from press release
GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Sophomore Cat Serpe scored with
five seconds remaining in overtime to lift Franklin & Marshall
College to a 9-8 victory over Gettysburg College in the finals of
the Centennial Conference Wome's Lacrosse Tournament at Clark Field
on Sunday, May 2.
With the victory, Franklin & Marshall (14-3) clinched its
fourth consecutive conference title and received the conference's
automatic qualifier to the NCAA Division III Tournament. Gettysburg
(16-3) will wait to see if its resume is worthy enough to warrant
an at-large selection by the national committee next week.
Franklin & Marshall was the only team to score first against
the Bullets during the regular season and the visitors did it again
on Sunday as Maggie Mae Shields found pay-dirt at 26:47. It didn't
take long for Gettysburg to answer with senior Jessica Crane
(Sudbury, Mass./Lincoln-Sudbury) hooking up with freshman Lindsey
Robinson (Potomac, Md./Holton-Arms) at 24:27.
Crane, who tossed in three goals in an 8-7 win over F&M on
April 21, went in solo for the game's next score at 21:02 to give
the hosts the advantage. With the lead in tow, the Bullets
controlled the ball for nearly all of the next 10 minutes, holding
the Diplomats without a shot while taking five of their own. Two of
those attempts hit the mark with a nifty turn-around shot in front
of the goal by Lexie Hearn (Old Greenwich, Conn./Greenwich)
spotting the hosts to a 4-1 lead at 10:27.
Gettysburg had two free position shots during the remainder of the
half, but F&M keeper Lidia Sanza stonewalled both shots to
preserve the score.
In the second period, Gettysburg controlled the opening draw and
added to its advantage when Crane lit the lamp at 24:11.
The Diplomats forced a pair of turnovers on Gettysburg's next two
possessions, the first leading to a low shot by Meredith Lussier
that was smothered by Bullet keeper Kristen Krammer (Woodbine,
Md./Glenelg) at 23:22. The visitors made good on the second
attempt, however, as Serpe posted her first goal at 17:58 to cut
the lead to 5-2.
The teams traded blows for the next three minutes with senior Nina
Emala (Baltimore, Md./Bryn Mawr) putting in a score at 14:01 that
made it 7-3.
Trailing by four with less than eight minutes left, Franklin &
Marshall came alive. The Diplomats forced a pair of Bullet
turnovers that turned into goals before winning the draw and
getting another goal by Serpe that made it 7-6 at 5:32.
The Bullets nearly turned the tide as Crane went into the offensive
zone and clanged a ball off the post at 4:49. The visitors came
right back down the field and Lussier, who assisted on the previous
three scores, tossed in the game-tying goal with exactly four
minutes on the clock.
Gettysburg had two shots to win the game in regulation with
Church's attempt swallowed by Sanza at 1:32 and Robinson's shot
just missing wide of the cage with four ticks left.
In the first overtime session every played in a CC championship
game, the Dips corralled the opening draw and held steady until
just before the midpoint when Serpe found Lauren Ehrhardt in front
of the cage for an 8-7 lead. The Bullets won the next draw and
fired two shots on goal, but once again Sanza made big plays with a
pair of saves.
With pressure mounting as the clock neared the one-minute mark of
overtime, Gettysburg forced a turnover and took it down to their
end of the field where junior Marnie Commins (Fairfax Station,
Va./Robinson) wrapped around the cage and converted a low shot past
Sanza to tie the game 8-8 with just 30 seconds left.
Half a minute was more than enough time for the Diplomats to go to
work as Erin Dunne procured the draw control and Serpe set up
action behind the goal. With less than 10 seconds left, she curled
around the side of the cage and managed to sneak a low shot past
Krammer for the game-winner.
Despite being out-shot 26-12 in the game, Franklin & Marshall
made the most of its looks, missing only two shots wide of the
goal. Gettysburg had the edge in ground balls (15-13) and draw
controls (12-9), but connected on only one free position shot in
five attempts.
Sanza and Serpe were the top players for the Diplomats. After
making 14 saves in last season's CC finale, Sanza once again played
spoiler in the cage with six stops, six ground balls, and three
caused turnovers. Serpe finished with three goals and one assist,
while Lussier notched one goal and three helpers.
Crane led Gettysburg with two goals, two assists, and four draw
controls. Church added a pair of scores and senior Anna Scanlan
(Lutherville, Md./Roland Park Country School) posted two ground
balls and two caused turnovers.
