Game Notes

GETTYSBURG, Pa. - Two unlikely foes will make for an exciting championship fight as seventh-ranked Gettysburg College meets 11th-ranked Bowdoin College in the 2011 NCAA Division III Women's Lacrosse Tournament finale on Sunday at 3 p.m. on Adelphi University's Motamed Field.

Neither Gettysburg (18-4) nor Bowdoin (18-3) won their respective conferences, but the two teams have out-dueled the nation's best teams on their paths to the championship game. The Bullets took out a pair of upstarts out of the west before disposing of defending champion Salisbury University and SUNY Cortland, while the Polar Bears have fought their way through Beavers, Ducks, Bantams, and Lions to make their first finale.

Read on for links to live stats and video and additional information regarding the Bullets' remarkable run.

Game Coverage: Today's game will be broadcast live on NCAA.com with play-by-play provided by Ralph Bednarczyk and analysis provided by Katherine Hock. Live statistics will also be provided and in-game score updates will be sent out via Twitter. Full post-game coverage can be found on NCAA.com and GettysburgSports.com.

How We Got Here: Gettysburg is making its second appearance in the NCAA championship game and first since finishing runner-up in 2006. The Bullets reached the finals after dominate offensive showings against Adrian (25-10) and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (18-11). After holding on for a 14-13 win over defending champion Salisbury in the regional finale, Gettysburg overcame a 3-0 deficit to pull out a 13-11 win over SUNY Cortland in the semifinals. Overall, Gettysburg is in the tournament for the 11th time and sports an all-time record of 17-10.

Bowdoin is making its first-ever appearance in the finals. The Polar Bears took out Babson (16-5) and Stevens (13-10), before handing conference rival Trinity (Conn.) its first loss with a 9-6 decision in the quarterfinals. In the semis, Bowdoin knocked off top-ranked and unbeaten College of New Jersey by overcoming a 6-2 deficit and winning 11-9. Bowdoin sports a 6-3 record in four appearances in the NCAA Tournament.

Semifinal Action: Gettysburg dispatched fourth-ranked SUNY Cortland 13-11 in the semifinals. The Red Dragons put up the first three goals before the Bullets went on a five-goal run, including two each by Lindsey Robinson and Hannah Church. Cortland pulled to one twice in the first half, but Robinson and Church completed their hat tricks in the first half to spot Gettysburg a three-goal advantage. In the second half, freshman Kelsey Markiewicz led the way with four goals, her final tally giving the Orange and Blue a 12-8 lead with 13:18 to play. Cortland managed to possess the ball off the draw and pulled to two, but a final tally by Church and a big save on a free-position shot by Maddie Coleman helped seal the 13-11 win. Church and Markiewicz each finished with four goals and Robinson posted three goals and two helpers. Coleman finished with 11 saves and Becky Lutz posted five ground balls and two draw controls.

Head Coach: Carol Cantele is the winningest coach in Gettysburg's women's lacrosse history, compiling a record of 266-88 (.752) in her 19 seasons at the helm. Cantele has guided Gettysburg to six Centennial Conference championships and 11 appearances in the NCAA Division III Tournament in the last 12 seasons, including 10-straight bids. A 1983 graduate of the school, Cantele competed on the school's only national championship team - the 1980 field hockey squad that won the AIAW Division III Championship.

Taking Care of Business: Gettysburg has not lost a game to an opponent ranked outside the IWLCA's top 10 since dropping an 8-7 decision to No. 17 Franklin & Marshall on March 30, 2005. The Bullets have won 100-straight games against teams outside the top 10.

Overcoming the Odds: Gettysburg has erased early deficits in each of its last three NCAA playoff games. The Bullets gave up the opening goal to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps before going for a 12-goal run in a 25-10 run on May 14. The following day, the squad erased a four-goal deficit to Salisbury with a 7-0 spurt to win 14-13 in the quarterfinals. Gettysburg surrendered the first three goals to Cortland in the semifinals, but once again, the Orange and Blue went on a five-goal streak and held on for a 13-11 victory.

Streaking to the Cage: Gettysburg has posted at least a five-goal streak in each of its four NCAA games this spring. The Bullets netted eight-goal and seven-goal outbursts in the first round against Adrian, before going to the cage 12 consecutive times in the win over Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. The team also ran up seven-straight goals against Salisbury in the quarterfinals. In the semis, Gettysburg went on a five-goal run en route to a 13-11 win. Those streaks still fall well behind the school record of 17 notched last spring against Trinity.

Offensive Explosion: Gettysburg began its 2011 NCAA run with one of the best offensive displays in tournament history. The Bullets put up 25 goals on the nation's highest scoring team, Adrian College, in the opening round, marking the fifth-highest scoring output in the history of the playoffs. The goal total was school's highest total since a 26-2 win over the University of Puget Sound in 2000 and it was tied for the fourth-highest in school history. Gettysburg also set school postseason records for most goals and most points (36). Sophomore Lindsey Robinson tied the individual postseason mark with eight points on five goals and three assists, while junior Hannah Church tied the program's playoff goal-scoring mark with six.

Dragonslayers: Gettysburg has taken out SUNY Cortland twice in the NCAA semis. In the 2006 final four, the Red Dragons jumped out to a 6-3 advantage, but the Bullets came back for an 11-7 win to advance to the title game. Yesterday, Cortland tossed in the first three goals before Gettysburg made its comeback for a 13-11 win.

MVP: Senior Becky Lutz was named Centennial Conference Player of the Year this spring. Her selection marks Gettysburg's sixth consecutive Player of the Year and she is the first defender from the conference to earn the award since 1997. She leads the team in ground balls (43), draw controls (56), and caused turnovers (54), setting a program season record in the latter. Also, Lutz was the fans pick for DIII Player of the Year at LaxMagazine.com.

All-Conference: Six Bullets grabbed All-Centennial Conference accolades this season. Becky Lutz, Hannah Church, and Maddie Coleman were each named to the first team, while Lindsey Robinson was tabbed second team. Marnie Commins and Lexi Kelly were each named honorable mention. Lutz, the only senior, was the only repeat selection.

All-Region: Senior Becky Lutz and junior Hannah Church were each tabbed IWLCA All-Metro Region First Team earlier this week. It was Lutz's third-straight first-team honor on defense, while Church was selected for the first time. Both sophomore attacker Lindsey Robinson and junior goalie Maddie Coleman were tabbed with second-team all-region accolades.

Fabulous First-Years: Freshman Loren Pruitt has tossed in 35 goals this spring. That's the highest total by a Bullets first-year since Leslie Marotz '98 set the Bullets' freshman scoring record with 44 goals in 1995. Right behind Pruitt is Kelsey Markiewicz with 34 goals and nine assists, in addition to 22 ground balls and 31 draw controls. Katie Blumenthal and Bailey Beardsley have made the most of their time on the attack, combining for 36 goals on 70 shots (.520 shooting percentage).

Going to Church: Junior Hannah Church has tallied a goal in 28-straight games. It is the fifth-longest streak in school history and she has netted 95 total goals during the stretch. She has tossed in two or more 25 times, including netting at least three in 13 consecutive games. Church's 81 goals this season is the third-highest total for a single-season in program history, while her 27 tallies on free-position attempts are a new school record. Out of those 81 goals, 77 have been unassisted. She has also tossed in 21 goals during the 2011 NCAA Tournament, shattering the previous record of 19 held by Franklin & Marshall's Jen Pritchard.