Photo Galleries (David Sinclair): Lebanon Valley | Haverford

GETTYSBURG, Pa. – The Gettysburg College women's soccer team turned in another sterling defensive effort in 2009 en route to its first winning season in three years.

The Bullets capped the year with a 9-7-1 overall mark thanks in large part to a defensive unit that recorded a goals against average of less than one for the seventh time in eight seasons. Gettysburg just missed the postseason, finishing tied for sixth with a 4-5-1 record in the Centennial Conference.

As usual, the Orange and Blue opened the year with a formidable opponent in ninth-ranked Ithaca College. The team held its own against the Bombers, allowing just a late goal in regulation in a 1-0 loss. Sophomore Allie Rivera (Wading River, N.Y./Shoreham Wading River) had a successful day in her first collegiate start at goalkeeper, stopping nine shots.

The Bullets went on a four-match tear over the next two weeks, winning every outing by shutout and posting the fourth-longest scoreless streak in school history at over 418 minutes. At the tail-end of that run was a 7-0 conference victory over Bryn Mawr College in which five Bullets tallied a score, including freshman Casey Attanasio (Newtown, Pa./Council Rock North) with a pair of goals which landed her conference and ECAC Player of the Week accolades.

Top-ranked Messiah ended Gettysburg's run with a 3-0 decision on Sept. 23 and Haverford College followed with a 2-0 win three days later. The Bullets shut down their next three opponents, however, recording 2-0 wins over Franklin & Marshall College and Lebanon Valley College, while tying Ursinus College 0-0. Senior Kerry McKenna (Sharon, Conn./Kent School) led the offense over the stretch with two goals and an assist.

After a 4-1 loss to another top-10 team in Johns Hopkins University, Gettysburg turned in a three-match winning streak to remain in the hunt for a conference playoff spot. Senior Tara Gaston (Newtown, Conn./Newtown) posted a pair of game-winning goals, including the only score in overtime at York (Pa.) College.

The Bullets ended the year on the outside of the playoff picture with a three-match skid beginning with a 3-1 loss to No. 23 Swarthmore College and ending with back-to-back one-goal setbacks to Dickinson College (0-1) and Muhlenberg College (1-2).

Three Bullets were named All-CC Honorable Mention. Gaston was tabbed for the third time in as many seasons after turning in her best offensive season. She finished tied for the team lead with five goals and added a pair of assists for a career-high 12 points. Attanasio was also named to the team for her offensive exploits after notching five goals and an assist in her first year.

Junior Sarah Yeager (Westport, Conn./Staples) earned all-league mention for the second consecutive season as a member of the defensive unit and she also chipped in offensively with a goal.

McKenna paced the Bullet offense with her best season, posting five goals and three assists for 13 points. Sophomore Sara Montague (Newark, Del./St. Mark's) logged a pair of scores, while senior Kelly Vigna (Wyckoff, N.J./Ramapo), sophomores Sam Hellerman (Smithtown, N.Y./Smithtown West) and Lauren Johnson (Morristown, N.J./Morristown-Beard), and freshman Mackenzie Cobb (Ramsey, N.J./Ramsey) each reached the scoring column once.

Rivera finished among the conference leaders with seven shutouts, in addition to recording a goals against average of 1.04 and .792 save percentage. Freshmen Katie Burke (Kinnelon, N.J./Kinnelon) and Carley Cesare (Boxborough, Mass./Acton Boxborough Regional) also saw time in the Gettysburg goal this fall.

Yeager and Johnson were joined on the defensive end of the field by senior Bethany Taylor (Derwood, Md./Magruder), sophomores Chloe Zeltmann (Nesconset, N.Y./Smithtown East) and Katie Richards (Huntsville, Ala./Huntsville), and freshmen Suzy Englot (Fayetteville, N.Y./Manlius Pebble Hill) and Lindsey Lyons (Hatfield, Pa./Pennridge). Junior Jordann Smak (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Mechanicsburg) played key roles on both sides of the field and joined Gaston as a member of the CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District II Third Team.

Although Gettysburg loses its top two scorers and five seniors overall, the team is slated to return eight starters and 17 letterwinners for 2010.