GRAND LAKE, Colo. – One of the biggest goals of the Gettysburg College women's lacrosse team this spring is to play on its own field in the 2010 NCAA Division III Women's Lacrosse Championships in May. The Bullets are expected to be there according to the preseason poll released by the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association, which selected the team third overall in Division III.
Gettysburg totaled 351 points and received two first-place votes in the IWLCA poll. The Bullets trailed only national champion and conference rival Franklin & Marshall College, which totaled 395 points and 15 first-place votes, and national runner-up Salisbury University, which accumulated 375 points and three first-place nods.
Rounding out the top 10 was Hamilton College (328 points), The College of New Jersey (298 points), Middlebury College (284 points), Tufts University (253 points), Catholic University (252 points), Union College (251 points), and Colby College (245 points).
Gettysburg is coming off its third appearance in the national semifinals over the last four seasons. The Bullets finished 16-4 overall and pushed eventual national runner-up Salisbury to the brink before falling 11-10.
The Orange and Blue return the bulk of its lineup intact, including all but one starter. All six All-Centennial Conference selections return, including 2009 CC Player of the Year and first-team All-American
Hollis Stahl (Hightstown, N.J./Peddie School) and fellow first-team All-American
Nina Emala (Baltimore, Md./Bryn Mawr School).
Gettysburg has a challenging schedule on the docket this spring with match ups against four top-10 teams, including Catholic (March 11), Middlebury (March 23), TCNJ (April 3), and Franklin & Marshall (April 21). All roads in Division III lead to Gettysburg as the national semifinals and championships in Division II and III will be played at Clark Field on May 22-23.
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IWLCA Division III Preseason Poll (Feb. 9, 2010)
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School
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Record
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Votes (1st)
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1.
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Franklin & Marshall
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0-0
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395 (15)
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2.
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Salisbury
|
0-0
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375 (3)
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3.
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Gettysburg
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0-0
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351 (2)
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4.
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Hamilton
|
0-0
|
328
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|
5.
|
TCNJ
|
0-0
|
298
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|
6.
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Middlebury
|
0-0
|
284
|
|
7.
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Tufts
|
0-0
|
253
|
|
8.
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Catholic
|
0-0
|
252
|
|
9.
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Union
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0-0
|
251
|
|
10.
|
Colby
|
0-0
|
245
|
|
11.
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Babson
|
0-0
|
176
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|
12.
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Williams
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0-0
|
167
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|
13.
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Cortland
|
0-0
|
149
|
|
14.
|
William Smith
|
0-0
|
138
|
|
15.
|
Trinity (Conn.)
|
0-0
|
113
|
|
16.
|
Stevens
|
0-0
|
104
|
|
17.
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Roanoke
|
0-0
|
66
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|
18.
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St. John Fisher
|
0-0
|
63
|
|
19.
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Washington & Lee
|
0-0
|
48
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20.
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Buffalo State
|
0-0
|
43
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| Also Receiving Votes: Amherst, Bowdoin, Elizabethtown, Mary Washington |
