Oct. 31, 2007

Box Score

GETTYSBURG, Pa. - Pamela Cassidy scored the game-winning goal with 2:56 left to play and Jennifer Burdo (Narbeth, PA/Harriton) came up with big saves down the stretch to lead Franklin & Marshall over 19th-ranked Gettysburg 2-1 in the first round of the Centennial Conference (CC) field hockey playoffs.

The Diplomats (12-6) came back from a 1-0 deficit with two second-half goals to advance to the CC semifinals for the first time since 2004 to take on No. 4 and top-seeded Ursinus on Saturday at 11 a.m. in Collegeville, Pa.

Burdo finished with six saves, including five in the second half while Eileen O'Reilly tallied the first goal for F&M.

Molly Latta netted the lone goal for the Bullets (11-7), who recorded a 5-1 win over the Diplomats during the regular season.

Gettysburg made the most of its first penalty corner of the game and its first shot, getting on the board in the 14th minute for a 1-0 lead. Latta blasted the ball from 10-yards out after Anne Ritter crossed the ball from the right.

The first half proved to be a defensive one with only two shots from each team, but that was not the case in the final stanza.

O'Reilly got the equalizer for F&M with a low shot from the right off a pass from Brittany Carson just 2:43 into the second half.

Cassidy found the back of the cage for the 13th time this season with an unassisted tally in the 68th minute.

Millicent Scott started the play by sending a ball into the circle and deflecting it off a stick to get lifted in the air. Goalie Katherine Corkhill brought the ball down and Cassidy knocked in the rebound for the game winner.

Burdo made two stops in the final two minutes on shots by Lexie Hearn and Emily Harwood to help the Diplomats secure the victory.

No. 2 Johns Hopkins will meet No. 3 Muhlenberg in the second semifinal on Saturday. The winner will advance to the championship game, slated for Sunday at 1 p.m.