March 15, 2008

Box Score

BALTIMORE, Md. - Mark Hild netted the game-winning goal off a pass from Shane Brennan with 28 seconds left in overtime to lift Franklin & Marshall over Washington & Lee 8-7 in non-conference men's lacrosse action at St. Paul's School in Baltimore, Md. on Saturday.

Goalie Chris Marcozzi made two big saves in the final minute of overtime with the latter setting up Hild's game winner to help the Diplomats (4-1) defeat the Generals (3-3) for the first time since 2004. Marcozzi finished with 10 saves and nine ground balls.

Hild recorded three goals on the day, while Brennan tallied two more assists and a goal for a total of four points. Noah Wilkinsky and Sean Oliver each scored a pair of goals.

Wilkinsky scored the lone goals of the third quarter to help F&M battle back from a 3-2 deficit and take its first lead heading into the final quarter.

The fourth quarter proved to be a see-saw battle, starting with W&L's Will Englehart goal to knot the game at 4-all at the 12:28 mark. Hild responded with his first goal from Brennan to regain the one-goal lead.

Englehart struck again, but this time Brennan decided to find the back of the net with an unassisted tally exactly a minute later for a 6-5 edge. With 5:20 showing, Tim Skeen found Ned Rider before scoring himself to give the Generals the lead they had in the first quarter.

Down by one, Hild's heroics kicked in with 2:31 left to play when he scored his second goal to send the game into overtime before netting the game winner with 28 ticks remaining in the extra period.

Sean Murphy went 6-for-8 on the face-offs and Jay Ridinger was 7-for-9.

This was second time in the last four years the Diplomats and W&L have gone into overtime and the second game this season F&M has won by a score of 8-7, defeating U.S.M.M.A on March 2.

The Diplomats return to action on Saturday in their Centennial Conference opener against Ursinus. Game time is 1 p.m.