April 12, 2008

Box Score

HAVERFORD, Pa. - The No. 8 Haverford men's lacrosse team scored four consecutive goals in the final 10 minutes of the game to break a 6-all and defeat Franklin & Marshall 10-6 in Centennial Conference (CC) action on Saturday.

Brian Fleishhacker and Max Hjelm posted five points with three goals and two assists apiece, while Mendlinger made 14 saves and only allowing six in the win for the Fords (9-2, 4-2 CC). Sean Oliver led the Diplomats (7-4, 3-3 CC) with a hat trick.

Oliver started the scoring in the first quarter with his first goal off a pass from Peter Moon for a 1-0 edge, but Haverford used a 4-0 run to take a three-goal lead late in the second quarter.

The combination of Fleishhacker and Hjelm ignited the four unanswered goals. Hjelm then found the back of the net and Fleishhacker followed with his second goal, before assisting on the fourth for a 4-1 lead.

Jeff Ritter got F&M within two off a feed from Noah Wilkinsky with 1:33 left until halftime and Mark Hild made it a one-goal game immediately to start the third quarter.

After the Fords put up two more goals thanks to Fleishhacker and Hjelm to make it 6-3, the Diplomats evened the score with three straight goals, including one from Wilkinsky and two from Oliver. The first two goals happened over a 42-second span, with Wilkinsky finishing a pass from Sean Murphy and Oliver getting the tally with eight seconds left in the third quarter.

Hjelm tallied his final goal and the first for Haverford in the fourth quarter, proving to be the game winner on an unassisted man-up opportunity at the 10-minute mark for a 7-6 advantage. The Fords added three more to put F&M out of reach to post their fourth conference win.

Chris Marcozzi made eight saves and Jay Ridinger for the Diplomats.

F&M returns to action on Saturday at Washington. Game time is 7 p.m.