Fifth-Ranked F&M Downs Stevens in High-Scoring Battle
Rob Kulish
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (March 12, 2014) – Nationally ranked No. 5 Franklin & Marshall College defeated Stevens Institute of Technology by a score of 19-14 Wednesday at Occidental College in Los Angeles, Calif.
F&M improves to 4-0 with the win, while Stevens falls to 2-4 in the loss.
The first half saw excellent play from both sides. Sophomore midfielder
Erika Wilcox (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) started the scoring for the Ducks, staking Stevens to a 1-0 edge 1:12 into the game thanks to an assist from freshman midfielder
Kathleen Kalbian (Cheshire, Conn.).
The Diplomats answered with a pair of tallies 22 seconds apart to open a 2-1 lead just 2:40 into the action, but the Ducks ran off three-straight markers to open a 4-2 margin with 19:08 to play in the first half. Kalbian put away a Wilcox feed to tie the game, and Wilcox recorded a pair of unassisted scores.
Junior
Brittney Jorgenson (Glenwood, Md.) scored to briefly slow the brewing Stevens momentum before the Ducks upped their cushion to 7-3 behind unassisted markers from sophomore attack
Jaimie Mastrogiacomo (Whitehouse Station, N.J.), freshman midfielder
Mariel Haubrich (Ocean City, N.J.) and senior attack
Kara Rafferty (Bayshore, N.Y.).
Facing a four-goal deficit, the Diplomats were able to respond, closing the half with five-straight goals over a span of 6:36 to take an 8-7 lead in to the intermission. Junior attack
Emily Everdell (Littleton, Mass.) tallied the final three goals in the first-half-ending spurt for F&M.
Kalbian knotted things at eight-all 2:47 into the second half, converting a free-position attempt from the right side of the fan, but F&M continued its hot play, running off five goals in a row to take a 13-8 lead with 17:21 to play. Jorgenson and senior attack
Ali Kelly (Wayne, Pa.) each tallied a pair in the run for the Diplomats.
Rafferty and Mastrogiacomo hooked up for a gorgeous goal to get the Ducks within four, and after two F&M goals pushed the margin to 15-9, Haubrich was able to slow the momentum with her second of the game.
The Diplomats again scored back-to-back goals separated by 1:11 of game time, but the Ducks refused to go away quietly, outscoring F&M 4-2 over the final 5:22. Kalbian had three of the four goals with Rafferty getting the other.
F&M ended with a 33-24 edge in shots, putting 30 on goal (18 for Stevens). The Ducks held a 21-20 margin in ground balls, but F&M won 22-of-35 draw controls. Each team ended with 15 turnovers, with the Ducks totaling 11 saves on the day. Freshman
Janelle Welkie (Hershey, Pa.) was credited with 10 stops in a shade under 34 minutes between the pipes. Sophomore
Kaitlin Hardt (Berlin, Md.) made four saves to earn the win for the Diplomats.
Senior attack
Caroline Krohn (Baltimore, Md.) had four goals and three asissts for F&M, and Everdell had three scores. Kelly had three goals and a helper, with Jorgenson finding the back of the net four times.
Stevens was led by Kalbian who had five goals, one assist, three ground balls and four draw controls. Wilcox had three goals, one assist, two caused turnovers and four draw controls, while Rafferty had three tallies, five ground balls and five draw controls. Mastrogiacomo had a goal and an assist, and Haubrich had two goals. Junior defender
Amanda Ingersoll (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) had three ground balls and two caused turnovers.
The Ducks will head back east and return to action on Wednesday, March 19 when they host Drew University in Hoboken at the De Baun Athletic Complex. That game is slated for a 4 p.m. start and all the action can be seen live at
www.Empire8.TV.