SALISBURY, Md. – The fourth-ranked Salisbury University women's lacrosse team fell on the wrong end of an overtime thriller, dropping a 16-15 decision against the fifth-ranked Franklin & Marshall Diplomats on Sunday afternoon at Sea Gull Stadium.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Leah Vilov required just 30 seconds to put the Sea Gulls in front, firing a solo strike to take a 1-0 lead. The quick offense continued as Meridith Price sent a helper to Mary Hanzsche just 32 grains of sand later to cushion the lead, 2-0.
• Franklin & Marshall controlled the ensuing nine minutes, logging five unanswered to turn the early advantage into a three-goal deficit with just over five minutes to go in the frame.
• The Sea Gull offense parried in the final stretch of the quarter as Caroline Knight fired Salisbury's third goal before Hanzsche logged her second point with a man-up feed to Camryn Pepper, tightening the margin to 5-4 through 15 minutes.
• Salisbury thumped the Diplomats in the second quarter, outscoring the guests 6-1 in the stanza. Price joined Grace Doyle with solo scores in the opening three minutes before Hanzsche kicked to Erin Scannell two minutes later, returning the lead to the hosts, 7-5.
• Two more unassisted finishes followed for SU, courtesy of Pepper and Hanzsche. Julianna Ott answered an F&M goal with a finish in the final 13 seconds of the half, giving Salisbury a four-goal advantage at the break, 10-6.
• The Sea Gulls stacked four goals against two Diplomat scores in the third quarter, starting with Pepper's third goal after taking just 91 seconds off the clock. Hanzsche found Price three minutes later, widening the margin to six at 12-6.
• Scannell and Miranda Mears (aided by Pepper) placed a pair of goals against a Diplomat finish across the next six minutes, and the visitors netted one more to send the top-five matchup into the fourth with a 14-8 score.
• Vilov netted Salisbury's final score with just under 13 minutes remaining, putting Salisbury ahead 15-8. F&M scored seven goals in the final eight minutes of regulation, tying the matchup at 15 and forcing overtime.
• A Salisbury card helped the Diplomats find the game-winner after 59 seconds of extra time, escaping Sea Gull Stadium with the 16-15 decision.

SALISBURY GAME NOTES

• Mary Hanzsche logged a team-high five points, netting a brace while piling up three assists.
• Camryn Pepper tallied four points on a hat trick and one helper.
• Leah Vilov and Meridith Price each finished with three points on two goals and one assist. Price also nabbed two ground balls.
• Erin Scannell tacked on two goals.
• Natalie Held shared the team-lead with three ground balls while forcing three Diplomat mistakes and securing seven draw controls.
• Madeline Davis forced a team-high four turnovers and split the top spot with three loose balls.
• Kaitlyn Hunsinger was tagged with her third loss of 2024, making 12 saves across the full 60:59 between the pipes.

F&M GAME NOTES

• Gillian Brennan finished with a team-high five points, scoring the final three goals of the contest including the overtime winner.
• Lane Lambeth and Lauren Pittman each totaled four goals. Pittman corralled a team-best 14 draw controls as well.
• Madison Bray tallied three points while picking up four ground balls and causing two Salisbury errors.
• Sara DiGiovanni earned her first win of the season, making six saves while allowing five goals in the final 30:59. Alyssa Moran made two saves across the first 30 minutes.

UP NEXT

• The Sea Gulls get a short six-day break from action before traveling to face The College of New Jersey Lions in Ewing, N.J. on Saturday, April 13.
• The affair is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. at the TCNJ Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex.

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Salisbury University is a proud member of NCAA Division III with primary membership in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference, along with the New Jersey Athletic Conference for football and men's and women's swimming, and the Coastal Lacrosse Conference for men's lacrosse. With over 500 student-athletes in 21 varsity sports, SU is recognized as one of the most competitive intercollegiate athletics programs regardless of division, featuring dedicated coaches and staff that foster excellence on and off the field. The Sea Gulls have celebrated 23 team national championships, 24 individual national champions, 197 conference championships, and 45 Academic All-Americans.

To Make Tomorrow Yours at Salisbury University, and learn more about Sea Gull Athletics' tradition of excellence, visit www.SUSeaGulls.com or follow on social media @SUSeaGulls.