Box Score

LANCASTER, Pa. – Being the No. 1 team in the country has not been an enviable position to be in the last three weeks in women's lacrosse and Franklin Marshall College found out the hard way as fifth-ranked Gettysburg College took down the top-ranked Diplomats 12-6 at Tylus Field Wednesday night.
 
Gettysburg (9-2, 2-1 CC) was all too familiar with the pressure of being No. 1, having dropped a pair of one-goal decisions during its reign just last week. The Bullets stepped up their game against Franklin & Marshall (8-2, 2-1 CC), however, and capitalized on a 15-5 advantage in draw controls to capture the key Centennial Conference victory. The No. 1 team in the Division III poll has now lost in three consecutive weeks.
 
Senior Caroline Jaeger (Hampton, N.J./North Hunterdon) set personal marks for goals (4) and points (5) and led the early charge with three first-half scores. Senior Emma Christie (Cos Cob, Conn./Greenwich) added two goals and two assists. Freshman Courtney Patterson (Whitehouse Station, N.J./Hunterdon Central Regional) posted two goals, one assist, and eight draw controls.
 
Senior Shannon Keeler (Moorestown, N.J./Moorestown) picked up seven saves and juniors Ali Gorab (Southport, Conn./Ludlowe) and Cassie Smith (Phoenix, Md./St. Paul's School for Girls) each corralled four ground balls.
 
The win was the program's second over a No. 1 team and first since a 9-8 decision over The College of New Jersey nearly 10 years ago to the day (April 6, 2007).
 
Gettysburg dominated the draw circle in the first half, winning all 10 draw controls. The Bullets scored off their opening possession as Jaeger converted a feed from junior Katie Landry (Hingham, Mass./Hingham) 1:22 into the contest.
 
Franklin & Marshall (8-2, 2-1 CC) took advantage of a Gettysburg yellow card to score an advantage goal with 18 minutes left in the first half. The Bullets were off the races after that, netting five consecutive scores, including four in the next three minutes. Patterson scored and assisted on a tally by Jaeger before junior Katie Willis (Baltimore, Md./Notre Dame Prep) converted a free-position goal. Christie added the next two on a free-position shot and off an assist from Willis to make it 6-1 with 10:23 left in the first half.
 
Jaeger added her third goal of the half on an assist by Christie to make it 7-2 heading into the break.
 
The Bullets kept the momentum by winning the first draw of the second period and picking up a goal by Landry 57 seconds in.
 
The Diplomats closed to 8-4 after finally winning a pair of draw controls, but Gettysburg came right back with goals by freshman Rebekah Riley (Bel Air, Md./Bel Air) and Patterson to push ahead 10-4 with 17:48 remaining in the game.
 
Franklin & Marshall closed the gap to 10-6 on goals by Gabby Frank and Natalie Delinsky with just under 12 minutes to play. The Diplomats had an opportunity to cut it to a three-goal deficit, but Keeler stonewalled Hannah Sterling. The Bullets burned off over three minutes before Jaeger scored her fourth goal with 6:01 to go.
 
Keeler stopped two more shots with about five minutes left and Riley picked up her second goal on an assist by Jaeger with 2:49 left. Gettysburg's goalie added one more stop on a shot by Delinsky in the final two minutes.
 
Gettysburg led in shots (23-16) and ground balls (12-6). Franklin Marshall's shot total tied a season low.
 
Gettysburg hosts Swarthmore College this Saturday at 1 p.m.