LANCASTER, Pa. – A valiant comeback came up just short as the No. 24 Ursinus College field hockey team was edged by No. 21 Franklin & Marshall, 4-2 in the first round of the Centennial Conference Playoffs on Tuesday evening.
 
Senior Ellie Bruggeman and junior Mary Lauren Franz paced the Bears offensewith a goal a piece, while sophomore goalkeeper Adriana Palladinetti anchored the defense with eight saves.
 
 
The Diplomats recorded the opening shot of the contest during the second minute as F&M's Caitlin Hoover had her scoring opportunity saved by Palladinetti. Ursinus quickly responded with the opening goal as first-year Marie Brainard found junior Mary Lauren Franz at the 3:10-mark to give the Bears an early 1-0 lead. After the initial shot from a Bears forward was deflected, Franz pulled in the rebound and sent her shot past the Diplomat defense for the early advantage. Palladinetti and the Bears defense would turn away back-to-back scoring opportunities from the Diplomats offense, before a goal from F&M's Jessica Miller at the 6:38-mark knotted the game at one a piece. With under two minutes remaining in the opening stanza, the Bears defense faced three separate penalty corner opportunities, but turned each chance away to keep the score tied at one at the end of the first quarter. Franklin & Marshall's only shot attempt throughout that time was blocked by sophomore Lauren Sieczkowski. Franklin & Marshall quickly responded with the opening goal of the second quarter as Hoover scored her first goal of the game to give the Diplomats a 2-1 advantage at the 15:36-mark. A bouncing pass from outside the attacking zone snuck past some Bears defenders and a one-timer shot towards the far post gave F&M the lead. Each team recorded three more shots on goal during the period, but it was the defenses keeping the scorecard clean as we headed into halftime with the score 2-1.
 
 
After the halftime adjustments, Ursinus controlled the pace of play early on firing two shots during three penalty corner attempts. During the first corner, Brainard received the inserted pass and sent a bouncing shot just wide of the cage to keep the deficit at one. Moments later during the third corner attempt, Brainard received the inserted pass again and this time her low shot was saved by Franklin & Marshall's goalkeeper Meghan Dole. At the 35:14-mark on the counterattack, a pass across the crease found Hoover whose shot in front of the cage found the back of the net to give the Diplomats a 3-1 advantage. Over the next five minutes, Ursinus started to pick up the pace on the offensive end as they would outshoot the Diplomats 3-0 but could not find the back of the net and trailed by two heading into the final period. During the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, the Bears offense brought the deficit to one as senior Ellie Bruggeman connected on a shot to make the score 3-2, Franklin & Marshall. On the penalty corner, first-year Kirsten Johnson inserted her pass to Bruggeman who passed back to Johnson on the near side of the cage. Johnson sent a pass across the crease to Bruggeman whose deflected shot trickled into the back of the net for the goal. Over the next five minutes of play, the Diplomat offense would put some pressure on the Bears defense totaling five penalty corners and seven shots. Palladinetti and the Bears back line would stand tall denying each opportunity to keep the deficit at one with five minutes to play. Ursinus was awarded a penalty corner with 2:37 remaining in the contest as Montgomery would look to score the equalizer, but her shot attempt was blocked by a Diplomat defender. Franklin & Marshall added an insurance goal at the 58:38-mark in route to the 4-2 decision and advance to play Swarthmore on Thursday evening.
 
 
Franklin & Marshall held a 12-10 advantage in shots on goal with the Bears holding a 14-13 edge in penalty corner opportunities. Franklin & Marshall's Meghan Dole earned the victory in cage with eight saves, while Palladinetti suffered the loss saving eight of the eleven shot attempts she faced. Franz paced the Bears offense with four shots on goal, while Brainard, Bruggeman, and Johnson each tallied two shots in the contest. Franklin & Marshall's Hoover scored three of the four Diplomat goals, while teammate Jessica Miller finished with seven shots and a goal.