Box Score

GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Julika Blankenship (Crumpton, MD/Kent County) collected a career-high 12 points and Megan Murphy (Wilton, CT/Wilton) became Gettysburg’s all-time career points leader as the fourth-ranked Bullets knocked off Ursinus 21-9 in the semifinals of the Centennial Conference (CC) women’s lacrosse tournament on Saturday.

 Blankenship netted a career-best seven goals and handed out five assists, helping Gettysburg (17-1) rally from a 4-2 deficit late in the first half and reach the CC championship game for the third straight season. The defending CC champions will face 13th-ranked Franklin & Marshall for the conference title after the Diplomats downed Washington 11-7 in the day’s other semifinal game.

 Murphy, who entered the game as the leading point-scorer in Division III this season, etched her name in the program record book two more times on Saturday. The senior scored two goals, giving her 89 for the season and breaking the single-season program record of 88 set by Colleen Dunn in 1995. Murphy also added two assists for a total of four points, giving her 274 for her career and surpassing Dunn (272 from 1993-96) as Gettysburg’s all-time point scorer.

 Kathryn Grassel (Dix Hills, NY/Half Hollow Hills East), the third member of the Bullets’ attacking trio, enjoyed a career day, scoring four of her career-high five goals during Gettysburg’s decisive 10-0 run across both halves.

 Emily Durkin led Ursinus (9-6) with a hat trick, reaching the 60-goal plateau for the season. Aubrey Andre and Ashley Ettinger each found the net twice in the losing effort.

 Despite taking 51 shots and matching a season high with 21 goals, the Bullets found themselves down 4-2 with less than 10 minutes left in the first half before Blankenship and Grassel kick-started the offense.

 Minutes after Casey Leap put the Bears ahead with an unassisted goal at 18:32, Blankenship scored off a feed from Kathy Delauney (Lutherville, MD/Roland Park Country School) to start the Gettysburg comeback. Blankenship converted a free-position goal at 24:49 to knot the game at 4, then set up Grassel’s first goal exactly one minute later to put the Bullets ahead to stay.

 The Blankenship-to-Grassel connection struck again at 28:26 to make it 6-4. Blankenship netted two more goals in a 30-second span in the final minute of the half, the latter coming with 10 seconds remaining to give Gettysburg an 8-4 lead at the break.

 Grassel made in 9-4 off another Delauney assist at 31:11 and Blankenship finished a solo move 62 seconds later for a 10-4 advantage. Murphy netted her record-breaking 273rd career point on a goal at 37:32 and Grassel finished the 10-goal run off a feed from Ashley Froman (Glen Arm, MD/Loch Raven) at 38:20.

 Durkin netted a free-position goal at 40:34 to snap a 22-minute Ursinus scoring drought. Murphy answered by tallying her record-breaking 89th goal of the season off a Blankenship feed at 44:27.

 Amy Farrell’s (Ambler, PA/Upper Dublin) free-position goal at 50:03 gave the Bullets a 10-goal lead at 17-7.

 Gettysburg appeared ready to dominate from the beginning, jumping to a 2-0 lead on goals from Blankenship and Jess Hanson (Hunt Valley, MD/Maryvale Prep) in the opening 4:23.

 The Bears, however, fought back to tie the game on goals from Durkin and Ettinger, then took a 4-2 lead when Durkin and Leap found the net in a span of 49 seconds.

 Liz Borucki (Medford, NJ/Shawnee) finished with six saves for the Bullets while Melissa Scholl made 16 stops for the Bears.

 Blankenship’s 12-point day made her the third player in program history to record at least 100 points in a single season (108), joining Murphy (130 in 2003) and Dunn (101 in 1995). She also became the ninth Gettysburg player with 100 career goals (102).

 The Bullets are seeking their third CC championship in 2003. Gettysburg captured conference titles in 2000 and 2002. The Bullets downed F&M 21-10 when the teams met during the regular season on Apr. 2 in Lancaster. The Diplomats are seeking their first CC championship.
 

CC Semifinals	1	2	-	F
Ursinus (9-6)	4	5	-	9
#4 Gettysburg (17-1)	8	13	-	21

Goals:

Ursinus: Emily Durkin 3, Aubrey Andre 2, Ashley Ettinger 2, Casey Leap, Sarah Ulmer.

Gettysburg: Julika Blankenship 7, Kathryn Grassel 5, Amy Farrell 3, Megan Murphy 2, Ashley Froman 2, Jenn Kelly, Jess Hanson.

Assists:

Ursinus: Leap 2, Julie Gentile 2, Durkin.

Gettysburg: Blankenship 5, Murphy 2, Kathy Delauney 2, Froman, Cassidy Zappacosta, Katie Lowe, Quinn Dougherty.
 
Shots: Ursinus 22, Gettysburg 51.

Ground Balls: Ursinus 26, Gettysburg 44.

Goalies: Ursinus (Melissa Scholl – 60:00, 16 saves, 21 GA), Gettysburg (Liz Borucki – 60:00, 6 saves, 9 GA).

Draw Controls: Ursinus 11, Gettysburg 21.

Caused Turnovers: Ursinus 4, Gettysburg 6.

Turnovers: Ursinus 21, Gettysburg 13.

Fouls: Ursinus 17, Gettysburg 14.

Free Position: Ursinus 1 of 2, Gettysburg 2 of 7.

Attendance: 300.
 
 

CC Semifinals	1	2	-	F
Washington (12-5)	3	4	-	7
#13 Franklin & Marshall (12-4)	2	9	-	11

Goals:

Washington: Casey Sawma 4, Minta Sayres 2, Janet Studdiford.

F&M: Allison O’Meara 3, Danielle Jones 2, Alexis O’Meara 2, Laura Fine 2, Kristen Foster, Eileen Keever.

Assists:

Washington: Lindsey Eichner 3, Studdiford, Betty Weller.

F&M: Alexis O’Meara 3, Lauren Paul 2, Fine, Allison O’Meara.
 
Shots: Washington 23, F&M 30.

Ground Balls: Washington 40, F&M 36.

Goalies: Washington (Ashley Crisler – 60:00, 5 saves, 11 GA), F&M (Kamissa Mort – 60:00, 8 saves, 7 GA).

Draw Controls: Washington 9, F&M 11.

Caused Turnovers: Washington 7, F&M 10.

Turnovers: Washington 16, F&M 17.

Fouls: Washington 7, F&M 13.

Free Position: Washington 0 of 2, F&M 1 of 1.

Attendance: 125.
 

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