The Lancaster Bible men's soccer team met a familiar foe on Wednesday night, one who happens to be just five minutes down the road at Franklin & Marshall College in downtown Lancaster. The match was one of the most complete games the Chargers have put together this season, as the Chargers and Diplomats finished in a draw after 90 minutes of play. Following the tie, the Chargers move to 8-3-3 overall and remain 4-1-1 in United East Conference play.
 
How It Happened: There would be some hype around the tonight's contest as the Diplomats entered the game nationally ranked at the number 18 slot for all of Division III. The Chargers would not shy away though, beginning with what felt like an even greater sense of urgency and confidence. They would set the tone early following two LBC corner kicks and a good look from Clark Shreiner just eight minutes into the game. F&M would respond, but the Chargers would hold strong, making several key stops and tackles by the Chargers' backline.
 
The Chargers would send several through balls looking for a defensive lapse or breakthrough, but the Diplomats would make a last second stop. Shreiner would have two more solid looks giving the Charger sideline and stands a glimmer of excitement, but none would find the net against a very tough defensive team.
 
After what felt like controlling the first half, the Chargers would start the second half in similar fashion with an early corner kick leading to shots from Muckle and Cox inside the box. The Diplomats would quickly return the favor, but again neither defense would give any ground. It would seem just as quickly an opportunity arose for either the Chargers or the Diplomats, it was shut down by the stellar defense from both parties.
 
Despite ending in a 0-0 tie, the Chargers illustrated great improvement, especially in the area of what Muckle would label as intensity and composure. It would come at a key time for the Chargers as well, currently sitting in second in the United East standings with two more conference games to go. The Chargers will look to build off the performances from last week and tonight as they compete for the conference championship and NCAA tournament automatic bid.
 
From the Captain: "Our focus this week was on intensity and composure because we knew those would be the keys to compete with a team like F&M. We executed our game plan and are proud of the clean sheet against a very solid team. This game will give us confidence going into the end of the season." – Senior Captain Nate Muckle
 
By the Numbers: The Chargers were just edged out by F&M in shots, 13-11, and saves, 5-4… although the Chargers had one more shot on goal than the Diplomats… the corner kick battle would end on an even note 5-5.
 
Information to Know: Despite being so close to each other, Wednesday night was just the second matchup with the Diplomats, losing to them at their place in 2021 with a final score of 0-3.
 
Up Next: The men will continue United East play this weekend at Penn St. Abington on Saturday, October 15^th at 3:30 p.m.