March 4, 2008

LANCASTER, Pa. - The Franklin & Marshall women's lacrosse team proved that dreams do really come true in 2007. In what one could call a fairytale, the Diplomats became just the fifth team to win an NCAA Division III Championship with an undefeated record going 21-0. It was the first time a team accomplished this feat with 20 or more wins.

On the road to winning the national title, F&M won its first Centennial Conference championship with a convincing 14-4 victory over defending champions Gettysburg, one of three wins over Gettysburg on the season. The Diplomats went on to post a 5-0 record in the NCAA tournament, defeating Salisbury 11-8 in the title game.

All of this was achieved under the guidance of head coach Anne Phillips. She was among the many on her team to earn postseason honors last season, including Inside Lacrosse, IWLCA and WomensLacrosse.com Coach of the Year.

The 2008 edition of the Diplomats' squad is almost identical to the team they fielded last year, returning eight players that accounted for 261 of the 320 scored and returning two veteran goalkeepers who combined for a 5.33 goals-against average.

In addition to 15 letterwinners and seven starters returning, F&M will bring back four All-Americans, four All-Conference and All-Region players. Junior attacker Jen Pritchard is one of the All-Americans. Last season, Pritchard was named Attacker of the Year by IWLCA, Inside Lacrosse and Womenslacrosse.com. She also earned three All-America honors after leading the Diplomats' attack with a season-high 77-goals, resetting the school record for goals in a season. Pritchard ranked 17th in the nation in scoring, and converted 19 out of 27 free-position shots.

The awards pile up has carried over into this season. She has been chosen as the IWLCA Preseason Player of the Year and was selected to the Tewaaraton Watch List.

Joining Pritchard on offense will junior Shannon Summers and sophomore Blake Hargest. Summers and Hargest combined for 93 goals and 72 assists in 2007. Summers, an All-Region second-team selection, scored 50 goals and dished out 31 helpers. Her 81 points count as the ninth best in F&M history. She started in all 21 games and tallied a season-high six goals at Dickinson.

Hargest had an outstanding rookie season with 43 goals and a season-high 41 assists. She was an NCAA All-Tournament team choice, setting a new record for assists in the playoffs with 14. Hargest also set the F&M record for assists in a game with nine against Mary Washington in the regional finals. Junior Lindsay Evans-Leary, and freshmen Laura Ruppersberger and Rachel Hickman will work into the mix on attack.

Juniors Sarah Meisenberg, Ashley Bevington and Devi Hensch are three veterans who bring experience to the Diplomats' midfield. Meisenberg, a returning four-time All-American, tallied 38 goals and 25 assists for 63 points. She also was named First-Team All-Conference and All-Region. She collected a team-high 59 ground balls and won 57 draw controls to place her second on the F&M history list.

Bevington averaged 2.05 goals per game, ending with 41 on the season. She also won 37 draw controls, caused 18 turnovers and dished out eight assists to earn her Third Team All-American honors. Bevington was also an All-Region first team selection and an All-Centennial Second Team choice. Hensch started in 20 games, contributing nine goals and three assists. She netted a pair of goals against Swarthmore and Ursinus, while finding the net against five other opponents.

Adding depth to the midfield will be junior Allison Solomon, and newcomers Taryn Webb and Meredith Lussier. Solomon made an appearance in 15 games, scoring a goal in NCAA regional final against Mary Washington.

The leadership and seniority comes from Carli McLaughlin in the defense. McLaughlin, the lone senior, will serve as team captain in her final season. Last year, she appeared in 14 games and collected a personal-best three ground balls against Ursinus. Junior Sarah Nyman and sophomore transfer Sarah Veneski will contribute on the defense that caused 229 turnovers and only held 10 opponents to four goals or less last year. Nyman started in every game and forced two turnovers in the NCAA championship game. Sophomore Paulette Cutruzzula and freshman Lauren Wendth are looking to see playing time this season on defense.

The face behind the mask in the goal will be returning starter and All-American Lidia Sanza. Sanza, the Womenslacrosse.com Goalkeeper and Rookie of the Year, was also an NCAA All-Tournament selection. She started 19 of 21 games, posting a .583 save percentage and 5.37 goals-against average. Junior Chelsea Meerbach saw time in 10 games and started in two. She made 34 saves and only allowed 21 goals (5.16 gga). Freshman Courtney Victor will compete for time in the cage in her first campaign.

The Diplomats open the season this afternoon at Rowan and then return back to the new North Campus Athletic Field for their home opener against Washington & Lee on Saturday. F&M faces McDaniel in its first conference game, before heading to West Palm Beach for spring break.