Game Notes
GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Gettysburg College and Adrian College have both been selected to the NCAA Division III Women's Lacrosse Tournament. That's where the similarities end for these two budding contenders for the national title.
Gettysburg, which posted a 14-4 overall record and finished 8-1 in the Centennial Conference, is heading into its 10th consecutive national playoff appearance and its 11th since 2000. The Bullets are battle-tested having faced about one-third of the 2011 NCAA field over the last two years and they hope to continue their recent success in the postseason, which has seen the team compete in the semifinals in four of the last five seasons.
“We are very excited to have the opportunity to compete in the upcoming NCAAs,” said head coach
Carol Cantele, now in her 19th year at the helm. “The team has worked hard and has focused all season on taking one day at a time with the goal of becoming better each day.”
“It takes so many little things to go the distance,” she added,” and at times it can seem overwhelming. But, if you stay focused, stay in the moment, play within yourself, and keep it simple, big things can be the result.”
Despite losing 10 seniors from last year's semifinal team, Gettysburg claimed an at-large berth in the national tournament after finishing runner-up in the conference to Franklin & Marshall College. The team's defense has been stingy to say the least, allowing only a pair of nationally-ranked foes to eclipse the 10-goal mark on the year. The Bullets rank seventh nationally with a goals against average of 6.44.
On the other side of the equation is the high-powered offense of national playoff newcomer Adrian. After starting the year 1-4, the Bulldogs put on a remarkable scoring binge during a 15-game winning streak and finished the regular season as the national leader at almost 19 goals per game. The team put up 20 or more goals 11 times during the stretch and it features seven players with 20 or more goals.
Adrian was the first school to feature a varsity program in the state of Michigan, making its debut season in 2008. The team has steadily improved each season, building off a 14-win season in 2010 to win 16 games this spring and qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the first time.
The Bulldogs qualified for the tournament as a Pool B selection, awarded to programs that play as independents or compete in conferences that do not have an automatic qualifier.
Will a newcomer bereft of postseason expectations knock off a perennial national championship contender or will a lockdown defense finally halt an offensive juggernaut? There are many factors that come into play in the postseason, but the Bullets' head coach has her team focusing on the only things it can control.
“This upcoming game is all that we are focused on at the moment and the focus is all on us,” said Cantele. “We will have a game plan that works for us while taking into account the tendencies of our opponent which we are stilling learning about. We know that we only have complete control over ourselves and the type of mindset and attitude that we bring into Wednesday's game.”
Wednesday's game is set for a 3 p.m. start at Clark Field. Ticket prices are: $3 for adult; $2 for students; $1 for children (ages 2-12). Live stats and free live video will also be available on Gettysburg's athletics website for those that cannot attend the game.
