Posted: May 14, 2023
LANCASTER, Pa. --- Nationally 16th-ranked Roanoke College scored seven goals in the fourth quarter, but the Maroons comeback attempt came up short in a 16-14 loss to host and eighth-ranked Franklin & Marshall College in the second round of the NCAA Division III Women's Lacrosse Championship.
THE BASICS
- Score: No. 8 Franklin & Marshall 16, No. 16 Roanoke 14
- Records: Diplomats 16-4; Maroons 16-4
- Location: Lancaster, Pa.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Maroons got on the board first with a goal by Nicole Harrison on a free position shot at 13:58. The Diplomats answered back three minutes later before Grace Koutouzis scored her own free position shot at 9:59 to give the Maroons the lead again, 2-1. F&M tied the score up at 7:31 as the teams would hold each other off the board the rest of the first quarter.
- The Diplomats took their first lead to start the third before Sydney Harrison took a pass from Tracey Benzing and fired a goal past the goalie at 12:21 to level the contest once again. Unfortunately, the rest of the period saw the Diplomats score six goals to pull away for a 9-3 lead heading into halftime.
- The third quarter was much more even between the two teams. After an F&M goal, S. Harrison and Koutouzis scored unassisted goals to cut the lead down to five at 11:48. The teams then went back and forth on goals as both Koutouzis and Libby Bowman scored for Roanoke.
- Down 14-7 going into the final period, the Maroons looked to stage an epic comeback as Bowman scored the first three goals of the period in just over the first two minutes, the last goal assisted by Koutouzis, as Roanoke trailed 14-10. A Diplomat goal was answered by another Bowman goal at 9:46 and a Lilly Blair goal at 9:15 to pull the Maroons with three, 15-12. A second F&M goal in the period was answered by a pair of woman-up goals by Koutouzis and S. Harrison at 5:19 and 5:04 to pull within just two. However, the Diplomats were able to escape with the 16-14 win after keeping Roanoke off the board for the remainder of the game.
- Kyleigh Chickering played all 60 minutes in goal for the Maroons, making 15 saves.